Another World, Another War
by nevejoannis
Summary: Elphaba Thropp has successfully escaped Oz with her sister's shoes and the Grimmerie, but now she has a new problem on her hands- she finds herself in a strange new world full of the magic she possesses. Keeping her past in Oz under wraps, she must venture into a world where her fate unravels far beyond her control.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I do not own any of the _Harry Potter_ characters. This is an idea that I've always loved and people have been bugging me to pursue it, so here it is. I imagine this will be a pretty long story, so bare with me, please!

* * *

They thought I died.

They actually believe that silly little girl killed me with that bucket of water, that I had melted. Honestly, as if I wouldn't take precautions against water, knowing what it does to me. Knowing what harm it _could_ do to me. Why would I even have a random bucket of water near me on the floor anyway? Clearly Dorothy doesn't like to use her brain, if she even has one to begin with. Only a bit smarter than Boq, if you ask me, and he's made of hollow metal!

That's not to say I didn't emerge unscathed, oh no. Just because I took _precautions_ doesn't mean it didn't affect me. Sweet Oz, it hurt. I thought I was going to die regardless, but I woke eventually.

"The Witch of the West is Dead!" They say. I can hear their cheers from the castle.

"No one mourns the Wicked!"

I almost laugh, hearing that line. Like I was ever wicked to begin with. The idiots couldn't even see the deception directly in front of them, that the _Wonderful Wizard of Oz_ wasn't all that wonderful after all. They couldn't see that he was nothing but a fake, that he couldn't really do anything. Well, except make a mess of things. He's apparently quite good at that. And that little girlstill has my sister's shoes. She straight out _steals from me_ and _raids the body of my sister_ who she _dropped a house on_ and I'm the wicked one! _I'm_ the wicked one.

I sigh. What am I going to do now? Fiyero is dead; Glinda's playing her part as the "Good Witch". I suppose I should just flee from Oz now that no one is after me, but I can't. Not yet. I want those shoes.

I realize, of course, that they're just shoes, and shouldn't be so important, but they are. Which no one-save Glinda- understands.

It shouldn't be too hard to call the Grimmerie back to me and use a concealing spell to get in, nothing special. Part of me wants to continue frightening them into submission and _make_ them listen to me, but I've tried that before and it never ends well. Yes, it's better to sneak in. Remembering one of the basic invisibility spells from the Grimmerie, I use it on myself before daring to step out of the castle. The streets of the Emerald City are overflowing with people all celebrating. In spite of myself, I find that I'm actually rather hurt by their happiness. I know I shouldn't be, since none of them know the truth, but I can't seem to push it away.

Suddenly I hear a new, different voice joining the singing crowd, one I know all too well, and I find this voice stings more than everyone else's.

Glinda's. She's singing, celebrating right along with everyone else. I stop in my quest to reach the palace, staring at where Glinda is, in that stupid bubble above the people. Why is she celebrating? Is she happy because she thinks I'm dead, too? How could she be? She was _there,_ she knows I'm not evil; she knows what the Wizard is. She knows the _truth!_ She's my best friend, why would she be happy that I'm dead? This doesn't make sense, but as she sings every syllable makes me flinch as she raises her voice high above the others.

"No One Mourns the Wicked!"

"Wicked!"

" _Wicked!'_

With her performance over, she leaves, and I see her making her way back to the Wizard's castle with Madame Morrible and the Dorothy girl and her companions. I regain my senses then, resuming my journey into the castle, leaving behind the people of Oz, still screaming with happiness.

Once inside, I stand among every citizen of Oz that managed to force their way inside the palace to dote over the stupid child and Glinda. Everyone congratulates Dorothy, thanking her for the deed she did for Oz, ridding them of the Wicked Witch. I have to force myself not to growl at their praise. If they only knew I was still very much alive, standing among them. They will, soon enough. Although my only wish is to have them finally see reason, I can't stop myself from smiling wickedly at the thought of their terrified reactions.

Dorothy finally quiets the crowd down when she speaks to Glinda.

"Oh, thank you so much for all of your help! After that terrible windstorm landed me here I never thought I'd be able to return home. Everyone's been so kind to me… well except for _her_ , of course, but my house did accidentally land on her sister…"

My eyes narrow when I hear her words. All of your help? Glinda _helped_ the little wench? What- wait, did she say windstorm? At that, my eyes find Madame Morrible, whose eyes seem to show some indistinguishable emotion, but only for a moment. It's enough for me to realize that Morrible's responsible for Nessa Rose's death, that she created the windstorm that transported the house to Oz. The girl almost sounds regretful that her house fell on her, but why would she? She came to the castle to kill me, why would she care about Nessa?

"But Glinda, however will I get back to Kansas? Where's the Wizard? He said that if-"

"Nevermind about the Wizard, dear." Glinda tells her. "Just click your heels together, three times, and say, "there's no place like home". Those shoes I gave you when you arrived will take you back home."

Shoes? No, it can't be.

My eyes dart to the girl's feet, which are still wearing my sister's ruby red slippers. _Glinda gave that imbecile my shoes!_ No, this has to be wrong. Glinda wouldn't do that to me, no matter how angry she is. She knows what those shoes meant to me, she wouldn't give them to some interloper! The child _must_ have stolen them!

Yet, as soon as the thought enters my head, I know it isn't true. I could always tell when Glinda was lying, and she's definitely not doing so now.

Unbelievable. Everything, _everything_ I thought I knew about this, which admittedly wasn't much, was all a lie. Dorothy didn't steal the shoes, nor did she intentionally mean to kill my sister. She probably only tried to kill me because the _wonderful wizard_ told her he would return her home once she did so. The coward, sending a child to fight for him.

But Glinda… I stare at her, but she's only smiling at Dorothy, not the least bit of denial, grief or regret in her eyes. My best friend!

"Go on, sweetheart. Click your heels."

My eyes narrow. No, absolutely not! She's not going to get away with this! Dorothy may be innocent, but she still has something that belongs to me.

I walk to the middle of the room, where they're standing, staring down Glinda as I release the invisibility spell around myself.

The reaction is instantaneous. Gasps and screams are heard throughout the room, but I pay no attention, and continue starting at the "witch" in front of me. She looks shocked, and I feel myself smirk at her.

"Well, hello. Surprised, dearie?"

Glinda's eyes are wider than I've ever seen them, and when she tries to speak, she stutters.

"I- what- you- _you're alive?!_ "

"Why, of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Dorothy seems to have recovered from my sudden appearance. "But… the water! I heard you screaming, it sounded like you were..."

"Dying?" I finish the sentence for her, and she flinches. "Well, it seems it didn't _stick_ as well as it should have, much to everyone's horror." I say, turning my gaze back to my once-friend. Her eyes drop from mine, but only for a moment.

"You're not welcome here!" She yells, her blue eyes icy.

I flinch slightly, but only enough for it to be noticed by her and Dorothy. Immediately though, my expression changes back to its blank indifference, but I make sure she can still see the anger in my eyes.

"I have a name, _Glinda._ You can't even say it, can you? My name is _Elphaba,_ not Wicked Witch. Why wouldn't I be welcome, Glinda? Tell me, is it because of the lies the wonderful Wizard has spread? You of all people should know they aren't true. And yet, you seem to be just as disgusted as everyone else in the room to discover I'm still alive. I never would've believed it."

I point at the shoes. "How could you give away those shoes? They were not _yours_ to give away! You know what they mean to me. They were _my_ sister's, a gift from _my_ father, and you gave them to a _child!_ "

She makes no move to speak, so I continue. "It was all an act, wasn't it? How could you be so cold, so cruel, to someone who trusted you? You were with me when I met the Wizard, Glinda. You _saw_ what happened, what he was! But you bought right into his lies. You let him and Morrible spread horrible lies about me, poisoning these people against me, when all I wanted to do was protect them from a _tyrant!_ Why, _how,_ could you do that to another person, let alone your best friend!"

I hear the people around us gasp, but I ignore them. I continue to stare at the woman in front of me, watching and hoping for a single shred of regret in her face, but I see nothing. Not a damn thing.

"You're pathetic."

Finally Glinda's face twists with anger, and she shoves me away from her, causing me to move back a few feet.

"You brought this all on yourself, Elphaba. You wanted me to use your name? Do you honestly think it will make any difference? They don't _care_ who you are, you're still the _Wicked Witch_ they hate. You ruined so many people's lives, all because you just couldn't keep your mouth shut. Dr. Dillamond, that Lion, Boq, Nessa, even Fiyero! He's dead because of you!"

I recoil as though she'd slapped me. She's blaming me for Fiyero's death? Oh no. This won't do at all. I find myself coming closer to her now, my anger flaring.

"Fiyero? You think his death is _my fault?_ You should be blaming your _Wonderful Wizard_ for that. He came looking for _me,_ I didn't convince him to leave you. I would have rathered he didn't. He knew the truth, he knew I wasn't evil, and he tried to help me. He wanted to protect me. He wasn't there, he didn't witness it like you did, but he knew right from wrong and he didn't give a damn about the rest of it. The power, the money, meant nothing to him, unlike you."

I bring my face inches from her's. "I lovedFiyero, he was a great man and I hate myself everyday for what happened to him, but I'll be _damned_ if I let you pin his death solely on me."

I take a deep breath, closing my eyes and calming myself down before looking back at her. "I have come to ask you one last time, Glinda. Dorothy does not need those shoes to return home, there are other ways. They belong to me. Please, give me back my sister's shoes."

"No."

Out of the corner of my eye I see the Grimmerie sitting behind her. I almost forgot that it's one of the things I came for in the first place. I focus back on Glinda, glaring at her.

"I gave that book to you to protect, because I trusted you with its power. As comical as it may seem, there was a time when I would have trusted you with my life. Now I can see I was severely misguided in that belief and put my trust in the wrong person." I held out my hand to the Grimmerie and summoned the book to me.

"You no longer deserve this. You probably don't even have the power required to wield a quarter of the magic in this book. I don't know what I was thinking. You underestimated me, _Ga_ linda. Just like you underestimated Fiyero. He never would have gone along with the Wizard once he knew the truth. He left because the Wizard, and no doubt the fact that you let him get away with all of this disgusted him. Fiyero would be so disappointed in you."

Suddenly I feel a stinging pain blossoming from my cheek. I realize with shock that Glinda just slapped me.

"Go, Dorothy! Now! Don't just stand there, you stupid girl, go!"

"There's no place like home… There's no place like home…"

My eyes widen as it occurs to me what's happening. _The shoes!_ I turn as Dorothy says that stupid sentence for the final time, and she begins slowly fading out of sight. My grip tightens on the Grimmerie, quickly conjuring a bag and slipping the book into it.

" _No!"_

Pushing Glinda out of the way, I lunge toward the girl, barely grabbing hold of her ankle before we are both transported far away from Oz in what could only be described as a cyclone of power. It is almost as if Morrible had created a tornado around us, with us in the very center being propelled into the clouds.

Dorothy is attempting to shake me off but I hold tight to the shoes. She used them knowing what they meant to me, and Glinda had encouraged her to do so. Why couldn't she have just given them to me?

Dorothy eventually kicks one of her feet free from me, leaving me with one shoe in one hand and a drastically failing grip on the other one.

"Give me the shoes! I can still propel you home!" I shout, but she makes no notice of hearing me. I manage to hook my finger into the back of the second shoe and pull with all my might against it, shouting with glee as it comes loose. Dorothy notices but before she can say anything I launch a wave of sheer magic at her, of everything I have in my body, propelling her faster through the vortex. I clutch both shoes in my grasp as I am finally reunited with the last remaining part I have of my sister.

The vortex wraps around me, signaling the end of the transport and jostling me around. These always have such bumpy endings. The question is, where exactly would I be taken? Dorothy said her home was Kenses or somewhere? Kansas maybe? Such an odd name.

I feel the effects of extending my magic so roughly as soon as I am deposited in the center of an oddly dull town full of strangely dressed people who walk around me like I didn't just pop out of a swirling vortex in the middle of a rather busy street. As if this is a normal occurrence wherever I am. I can physically feel myself fading from consciousness bit by bit as I just sit here in the middle of the road holding these shoes and the bag holding the Grimmerie. I'm vaguely aware of a man coming up to me, but I regard him through blurry vision.

"Miss? I'm sorry, are you feeling alright? You're looking a bit green. Miss?"

I have the urge to laugh in his face. _A bit_ green? I want to respond, tell him to go away, but I cannot force myself to stay awake any longer.

 _I'm definitely not in Oz anymore._

* * *

A/N: Please review! Let me know if anyone is interested in me continuing this story. Thank you darlings!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay guys, here we go. Before anything else, let me make a few things clear: For the purposes of this story, the year is 1942, and Minerva is from Germany.

Yes, I know that this is different from cannon, but it's what I needed to start the story how I wanted it. It'll make sense, I promise! Hopefully this doesn't bother anyone too much. Again, bare with me!

* * *

I don't know how much time has passed before I begin to wake. The first thing I see when I force my eyes open is the white ceiling. I sit up, realizing I am in a bed, and in a white gown instead of my dress. What's going on? I notice rows of beds on either side of me and on the opposite wall identical to mine. How did I get here? The last thing I remember was appearing in a strange place and blacking out… This must be where the vortex dropped me. But where am I?

A strand of my dark hair falls into my face. With a huff, I raise my hand to tuck it back behind my ear, only to stop in my tracks half way.

 _My skin isn't green!_

I stare at my hand for a moment, thinking I'm hallucinating, but no, it's real! What the hell? It's so strange. I mean, I'm just so… well, _pale._ My arm is the same, and I throw back the sheets to inspect my legs. They're pale too! Not a hint of green anywhere. Did someone here find a cure? Impossible, I've searched for years! And yet…

 _You're looking a bit green…_

I remember the man's voice above me. I'd wanted to laugh at him, but perhaps he wasn't as stupid as I thought. Was the green fading that much when I arrived?

Well, at any rate, I suppose this will make it much easier to go around un-noticed. That is, if no one here knows who I am. I wonder… Did I do this somehow? If so, this place must have one hell of an affect on my magic.

If I even still have my magic, of course.

The door to the room begins to open, and I force the look of shock and fear from my face, feigning normalcy. I have no idea who these people are or what I'm in store for, but I'll be damned if I show fear.

A short, plump woman dressed in what could pass for some sort of healer's attire bustles in. She walks faster once she sees that I'm awake. Following behind her is a tall man with long auburn hair and beard, and blue eyes behind a pair of half-moon glasses. He's wearing the most ridiculously colored robes I have ever seen in my life.

Despite his flamboyant clothing choice, I find my immediate attention going to the woman. I don't like how quickly she's advancing on me, particularly when I'm in such a prone position.

"Who are you? Stay back! _What_ are you doing?"

She pulled some kind of odd stick out of her pocket, and it looks as though she's about to point it at me.

The woman pauses, looking a bit surprised. I hear the man coming up behind her, chuckling.

"Poppy, perhaps it would be best to explain before anything else."

"Yes of course, Professor."

I turn my gaze to the man beside her, eyeing him with suspicion. He only smiles at me.

"Hello, I am Professor Albus Dumbledore." He says, holding his hand out to me. I nod, but don't make a move to take his hand.

"Hello. You said you would explain?" He drops his hand back to his side.

"Ah, yes indeed. Well, you appeared in front of me in Diagon Alley quite suddenly. You immediately looked rather sick, and though I tried to speak to you, you did not respond to me. I'm afraid you fainted, and I brought you here for Madame Pomfrey to aid in healing you."

Ah, so he is the man I saw in the street, then. I give the woman a sidelong glance. "So I was correct in my assumption that she is a healer of some sort?"

The man, Dumbledore, nods. "Yes. You're currently in the infirmary of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, of which I am the Deputy Headmaster. Ms. Poppy Pomfrey is our school's medi-witch."

I stare at him a moment, trying to make sense out of what I was being told before Professor Dumbledore speaks again.

"You have the ability to do magic, do you not? I figured you appeared in Diagon Alley by apparition, but we could not find a wand among your possessions."

Diagon Alley? Apparition? What is he talking about? I've never heard of any of these things, but I suppose a wand is that stick that Poppy woman attempted to use on me. Very odd.

"Yes, I can do magic, but-"

Suddenly I freeze, realizing much too late that I am missing something. The Grimmerie, Nessa's shoes! Where are they? They weren't on me when I woke up.

I turn to them sharply, giving them my most menacing glare. "What did you do with them?"

The healer backs up slightly, but the man just looks confused. "Pardon?"

"You said you looked through my possessions. Where are they. The book, those shoes! Give them back to me! You have no right-"

I pull back the sheets and stand on surprisingly strong legs, crouching down to check under the bed.

"Miss-"

"Where are they! They belong to me!"

I turn toward a door, probably the healer's office, and through the window I see both the Grimmerie and the slippers. Sighing in relief, I reach toward them and both items are summoned back into my arms.

Well, at least I know I still have my magic.

I spin back toward them, "Just what were my things doing in your office?"

"I- I was simply holding them until you could reclaim them."

"And did you do anything you should not have while you had them?"

"No, of course not. I promise I didn't touch them."

I narrow my eyes at the woman, but she seems to be telling the truth, so I relax.

"I apologize for the outburst."

"That's quite alright," Professor Dumbledore says quickly. "Obviously they mean a great deal to you, we should have told you sooner."

I nod to him, putting the things on the table beside my bed and sitting down on it.

"Now then," He says. "Maybe you can help us understand how you got here."

I look at him, feigning confusion. "I don't know. I can't remember much of anything."

"What do you remember?"

My expression hardens instantly, knowing I have to proceed with caution. "I was brought here by the shoes. A man with a great deal of power wanted me to join him at his side because of my magic. I cannot remember his name but he did horrible things, and I refused. He tried multiple times to kill me and very nearly succeeded, but I managed to escape and was brought here."

Professor Dumbledore nods slowly. The healer comes up to whisper in his ear, but I can still hear her.

"Albus, it must be a portkey! Perhaps she escaped from Grindelwald!"

He nods again, though he doesn't look quite convinced.

I keep my face blank, though I have no idea what they're talking about. Who is Grindelwald?

"Is anyone looking for you?" I tense at his question, looking up at him sharply. He instantly rethinks his question. "I mean family. Surely they're worried about you."

I scoff. "Trust me, no one's worried about me. I don't have any family."

"Do you remember where you are from? Your accent isn't British."

"British? Is… Is that where we are?"

He chuckles, "No, no. The castle is in Scotland, but most of our students and staff are from England. You have a strange accent."

I stare at him. I have an accent? I didn't realize those from Oz had any kind of accent. Wonderful, something new to worry about.

When I don't answer, he speaks again. "Perhaps Germany? It sounds like a German accent."

Germany? I have no idea what that is, but I certainly don't have any alternatives, so I nod.

"Yes, that's it. Germany."

He nods, and I relax a bit. Obviously no one recognizes me here. Great, now all I need to do is escape these people and their questions.

"Well, if you wouldn't mind, I would like Poppy to perform a diagnostic spell on you, just to make sure you have no lasting injuries."

I nod after a minutes hesitation, laying back in the bed. The woman comes up to me slowly and raises her stick over me. I tense, and she glances at me.

"This won't hurt at all, I swear."

I nod, and she waves it over me, causing a tingling sensation all over my body, but no pain.

Madame Pomfrey pauses when she looks at the result, and the Professor immediately notices. "What is it, Poppy?"

"What? Oh…" She glances at me, "No injuries that can't be healed fairly easily, Albus. Depleted magical core, fresh scars, bruises... You also seem to have a few moderate burns. Do you know what those are from?"

My eyes widen. Burns? That must have been from the water Dorothy threw on me. I vaguely remember feeling as though I was on fire..

"No, sorry. I can't remember much up until I woke up and managed to escape."

Poppy nods slowly. "Well, we can use a potion for those, not to worry."

Professor Dumbledore nods, "Good, good. Now, do you have anywhere to stay, miss?"

"Uh…" Shit. Shit! What am I going to do now? The only thing I wanted was my things back. My plan only consisted of that and leaving Oz. I didn't think about what I would do afterwards.

"Well, no, actually. I… I didn't plan very far ahead, you see."

He nods seeming, oddly, to understand. "Ah, yes. Well, you can always stay here in the castle until you figure that out. What did you do before you arrived here?"

My eyes widen only slightly. What am I supposed to tell him? That people thought I was a terrorist? No, no, that simply wouldn't do. Let's see…

"I was a teacher." I blurt it out before I can stop myself. I did often help Nessa and Boq with their homework and spent a great deal of time with Dr. Dillamond, so I guess that's the closest I'm going to get.

The Professor's eyes light up. "Really? Wonderful! Then I insist you stay here in the castle. In fact, I have a marvelous idea!"

I raise an eyebrow at him, looking at him in suspicion. "And?"

"Well, at the moment Hogwarts finds herself without a Transfiguration professor. Seeing as you are witch, I don't see a reason why you couldn't fill that position. Room and board would, of course, be provided, as well as a steady salary."

I stare at him, as does the healer. Is he mad? I appear out of nowhere in the middle of a street, act like a mad woman over a book and shoes, he knows absolutely nothing about me, and yet he's offering me a _job?_ With… _children?_

"Well- I… Yes, I can do magic; That is true, but I don't remember anything about Transfiguration."

"That's alright, we still have a couple months before the students return for the school year. I am sure I can jog your memory."

"I…" My first instinct is to call him crazy and decline his very odd offer, but then I stop myself. I mean, really, what else am I going to do? I know no one here, I'm not even sure exactly _where_ I am… No one seems to recognize me yet, and I'd be able to make a living for myself with his proposal. Sure, it involves children, but I actually always liked children. They were always scared of me back in Oz, and a rumor went around that I ate them, but I don't see any reason why I shouldn't take this chance. After all, I doubt I'll get another one.

I look back up into his blue eyes, a feeling of determination filling me. "I'll do it."

He smiles broadly, a twinkle in his eyes. "Splendid! We'll start as soon as your magic is back at a normal level. Oh, and by the way, I don't think I asked your name."

"It's-" I cough, suddenly realizing I can't give him my real name. If anyone were to come looking for me it'd be that much easier to evade them… Quickly, I think back, remembering all the books I'd read as a child. Only a few names I truly liked popped out at me, and I find myself speaking even before I had made the final decision.

"McGonagall, Professor. Minerva McGonagall."

He smiles warmly at me, placing a hand on my arm. Despite myself I flinch back, but he doesn't remove his arm.

"Ms. McGonagall, I will not hurt you. I only wanted to tell you not to call me Professor. Albus will suffice."

I relax, chiding myself for acting like that. I give him the smallest of smiles. "Alright, Albus. But only if you call me Minerva."

He smiles again, patting my arm. This time I manage keep myself from flinching.

"Minerva it is, then." He grabs my hand and places a kiss on the back of it, something only Fiyero was brave enough to do.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading, everyone! And PLEASE review! I like to know what everyone's reactions are. Thanks guys! See you soon.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I do not own any HP or Wicked characters! This chapter is longer than the others, but I couldn't find another sufficient place to end it. Sorry to those of you that don't like long chapters, but hopefully it's worth it!

* * *

Albus Dumbledore sat alone in his office pondering the mystery that was Minerva McGonagall. It'd been a few weeks since she'd appeared in front of him in Diagon Alley. He'd been spending a great deal of time with her, teaching her Transfiguration among other things she'll need to know for her first week of classes. Much to his surprise, Minerva seemed to pick up the subjects remarkably fast, but she was particularly adept at Transfiguration. Albus gave her many books on the subject, but she sped through those within a few days. At this rate she'll master the subject by the time the term begins. He wouldn't be surprised if she finished all of the subjects taught at Hogwarts by then. She was almost through the 7th year's charms material as it was.

She intrigued Albus a great deal. She was a very powerful witch, that much was certain, but it was almost as if her magic was in some way… different, than his. Most likely different from all of theirs. He could sense something about her magic that he'd never come in contact with before meeting her. A power that almost made even him uneasy. Poppy could sense it too, and she remains nervous around Minerva, though it became obvious to Albus early on that she was not a threat. Guarded, yes, but no threat. Armando seemed to sense it in her too, but he could not see any reason why she would be a danger to them.

It was obvious though; that she had her secrets that she hadn't shared, although she often hid it well. Something that kept her at arm's length from everyone around her. This frustrated Albus, because he wanted her to trust him. He wasn't quite sure when he realized this, but it was there all the same.

The clock on his wall chimed, pulling him out of his thoughts. Today was the first staff meeting with every professor, including Minerva. He sighed. He was nervous about how his colleagues would react to Minerva, but there was only one way to find out.

* * *

I pace back and forth in my living room thinking about my first staff meeting. I've learned that the anxiety that accompanied being around others has not lessened despite the fact that I no longer have the abnormal green skin. I sigh, going back into my bedroom and picking up the brush. I falter for a moment looking at my reflection in the mirror.

I still haven't fully gotten used to the changes. Surveying myself, my eyes catch my attention once again. They are no longer the muddy brown they were back in Oz, but instead a bright emerald green. A few days after I was released from the infirmary, I reluctantly went back after I discovered an issue with my vision. According to Poppy I have somehow become far-sighted, and she gave me glasses. Perhaps the water Dorothy threw on me affected my eyes more than anything else.

I only really need them when reading, but the brightness of my eyes is actually rather unsettling when I don't have the glasses on. Sometimes I think my magic acting so strangely upon arrival caused the green tint of my skin to retreat into my irises. It's a fanciful thought, really, and one I rarely entertain, though I have no other explanation.

I turn toward the dresser and see the Transfiguration books Albus lent me. I really must get those back to him. I find the subject very fascinating, actually. It seems to relate a bit to a few of the spells I've studied in the Grimmerie, and it turns out I have quite the talent for it. Albus seems to believe that I remember it from before the "amnesia", and I didn't tell him any differently. To be honest, I'm not even sure he believes my story, but I'm certainly not going change it now.

I look over at the clock on the wall, realizing that if I don't leave now I'll be late. Wouldn't that be quite the first impression?

I quickly pick up my glasses and put them on before walking out of my rooms and toward the staff room. When I get there, I take a deep breath before opening the door. Everyone turns to look at me, but I keep my expression blank.

Albus smiles at me, "Ah, Minerva. Welcome."

I nod. "Albus."

I walk to the empty seat beside him, and much to my surprise he gets up and pulls out the chair for me.

"Thank you." I say as I sit down.

He smiles and sits back down. "Let us begin. Before we get to normal business, let me first introduce our newest staff member and Transfiguration Professor, Minerva McGonagall."

I glance around the table. Some look surprised, a few smile kindly at me, but there are others that look rather uncomfortable with his news. One in particular, who speaks up first.

"Are you mad?"

Headmaster Dippet looks at him with wide eyes. "Pardon me?"

"No one knows anything about her! Why in the name of Merlin would you allow Albus to hire someone of such questionable origin? For God's sake, she could be one of Grindelwald's spies and you want her around the students?"

My eyes narrow. Yes, I can hardly blame him for questioning me, but I don't like the animosity in his voice nor what he is implying. I've done my research on Grindelwald since I arrived, especially since he is now apparently part of my identity here. He's a horrid man, a tyrant that reminds me in many ways of the Wizard. And he thinks _I_ am one of his followers? Ha!

"Now, Silvanus, Albus found her and trusts her. As he is my second in command, I trust his judgment, and consequently trust Miss McGonagall. I have seen no reason why she would not make an excellent addition to the staff."

I stare at him a moment. His vote of confidence was largely unexpected, but I manage to hide the shock well.

"Armando, you can't be serious. Normally I would agree with you regarding Albus's judgment, but in this instance, I believe he's rather short-sighted."

Albus speaks before Armando can, "Is that so, Silvanus? Well, do enlighten me." His voice is cold, and I notice a few of the professors fidget a bit in their chairs.

"Very well." He says, completely disregarding the warning in Albus's voice. "For one, she-"

"Excuse me." I interrupt. "Silvanus, was it?"

He glares at me. "Professor Kettleburn."

My jaw clenches in anger, and I return his glare ten-fold.

"Very well, Professor Kettleburn. I would very much appreciate it if you have something to say about me, particularly _concerns_ about me, that you address me directly rather than speaking of me as though I am not in the room."

Albus turns to me with a shocked expression. "Minerva, really, I can-"

I put up a hand to cut him off without taking my eyes off of the man on the other side of the table.

"Well? I believe you were in the middle of something, Professor."

It's silent for a moment or two. I can see a few shocked faces around the table out of the edge of my vision, but I still don't take my eyes off of him. For a moment it looks as if he's not going to continue, but then his glare returns.

"Alright." He says. "For one, you appear in the middle of Diagon Alley carrying only a book and shoes. No one knows where you came from and you claim amnesia. Rather convenient, is it not?"

I remove my glasses before smirking at him. "I'm sorry, do you for some reason doubt this, sir?"

"Indeed. Among other things, Minerva McGonagall does not exist."

Everyone at the table turns to look at me. Despite myself, I find myself laughing at his statement, much to everyone's surprise.

"Silvanus, please, is this really necessary-"

"No, no, Headmaster. It's quite all right. Let him finish, he seems to be enjoying himself."

"There is no record of a Minerva McGonagall in the ministry. I checked. Nor a McGonagall family. Care to explain that?"

"Gladly." I answer in my frostiest tone. "My records are not in your ministry, this is true, because I was not born here. The little family I had left is dead. Casualties of war, you could say. I myself escaped Germany after multiple failed attempts at killing me. Which, I believe Professor, answers the question of my sudden appearance in Diagon Alley. Transported there by those red shoes you mentioned; the last gift from my dead father to my dead sister."

I pause before continuing. "Now then, I can understand your confusion. I concede that this may seem strange to you, all of you. A young woman suddenly appearing out of nowhere with no known background. But make no mistake, Professor. I may be young, but I am in no way naive, and you cannot begin to imagine the things I have seen and experienced even at my 'young' age. Never in my life would I support a man like Gellert Grindelwald. Such evil and abuse of power disgusts me. The fact that you would make such assumptions about a woman you yourself claim to know nothing about, seems to make you the short-sighted one."

I finish, still glaring at the man. The room is deadly quiet. They all look shocked, sympathetic or sick to their stomachs. Kettleburn, who was so confident only minutes ago, is, remarkably, at a loss for words.

"If you are quite through questioning both my family and my motives, I suggest we allow Professor Dumbledore and the Headmaster to continue with the normal business of a staff meeting."

Kettleburn refuses to look at me now, seeming thoroughly embarrassed. At least he has that much sense, I suppose. The silence is interrupted with Headmaster Dippet clearing his throat.

"Quite right, Professor McGonagall, thank you. Let us continue then." Everyone seems to snap back to attention, pulling his or her eyes away from Kettleburn and I to look at the Headmaster. Most of them, anyway.

* * *

"Well," Dippet concludes, leaning back into his chair. "If no one has anything else to discuss, this meeting is adjourned. Professor Kettleburn, if I could please see you in my office for a moment…"

The staff trickles from the room, me being one of the first to leave. They all keep giving me these amazed and sympathetic looks, which is actually extremely discomforting.

"Minerva! Hey, Minerva!"

I turn, seeing a woman with short, spiky greying hair running to catch up with me. "Yes?"

She smiles when she reaches me, holding out her hand. "Rolanda Hooch, flying instructor."

I take her hand, "Minerva McGonagall."

"Listen, don't worry about Kettleburn, he's a git. He always gives new professors a hard time, but that was a bit extreme even for him. I just wanted to tell you the way you handled it was amazing. Not many people would have the guts to talk to him like that, let alone newbies. You really put him in his place."

"Well… thank you?" I don't really know what to say in response to something like that.

She smiles. "You probably noticed most of the professors aren't quite sure about you. If anything, today showed them you aren't one to be trifled with."

I nod, feeling oddly proud of this. It may make things easier down the road.

"I like you, though. I have a feeling we'll be great friends." She winks at me before looking over my shoulder and running past me.

"Poppy!"

I stand there stunned for a moment, not quite sure what to make of the woman. I walk over to the window overlooking the grounds, thinking about what she'd said. I'm so caught up in my thoughts; I don't even notice Albus coming up behind me.

"Minerva-"

I jump, spinning around with my hand halfway to my sleeve where my wand is stored before I realize whom it is.

"Oh, for the love of…" I mutter, trying to calm myself down. "Albus, I nearly hexed you into next week!"

"I'm sorry my dear, I did not mean to startle you. May I walk you back to your rooms?"

I nod, turning to go in that direction. I can feel Albus looking at me as we go, but I pay no attention. Thankfully, it doesn't take long to get back to my rooms.

"Nessarose." The portrait immediately swings open, and I lead the way into the living room, motioning for Albus to sit.

"I'll make us some tea." I tell him, going into the kitchen. I come back a few minutes later with the tray, smiling slightly at Albus.

"Sugar?"

"Please!"

I turn back toward the tray to make his tea. "Minerva, are you alright? I'm truly sorry about Silvanus. I've never seen him act like that before. He was way out of line, and I will make sure Armando deals with him accordingly. He will apologize to you. "

I scoff, giving him his tea without looking up at him, "Really, Albus, don't concern yourself with it. I agree that Professor Kettleburn was far out of line, but he's going to believe what he wants. It's not the first time I've heard it."

"Nevertheless-"

"Albus, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself!" I snap at him before I can stop myself. "I've done it long enough. It isn't as if he was wrong, was he? No one knows anything about me, which includes you. If I were him I'd probably think you were crazy. Hell, I _did_ think you were crazy when you offered me the job that day in the infirmary."

"Then why would you accept my offer?"

"Because I had no other option!" I sigh, turning back toward him.

"I'm sorry. I'm… on edge after the meeting. I shouldn't have snapped at you, it was unprofessional."

"Minerva, I am not just your boss, I am also your friend. At least I would like to be. You don't have to worry about things like that. It's understandable for you to be upset after the events of the staff meeting."

Albus could tell she didn't really believe him, but she didn't say anything to argue otherwise. "You didn't have to defend yourself. You owe no one any explanations. I could have easily dealt with Silvanus myself."

I sigh. "Albus, I am very grateful for everything you've done for me. The job, everything. But it doesn't make it any less crazy. And it also does not make it your job to protect me, nor fight my battles for me. As I said before, I can take care of myself."

Albus sighed, obviously knowing he wasn't going to win this fight; she was becoming more guarded from him by the second. He gave a nod of understanding, finishing his tea.

"I'll leave you to get some rest, then. I'll see you tomorrow."

I start to follow him to the door when a sudden thought occurs to me. "Oh, hold on a moment." I quickly go back into my bedroom and pick up the books he'd lent to me before coming back out.

"Here, I finished these a few days ago and keep forgetting to give them back to you."

He takes them, looking at me a moment before he decides to speak. "Who's Nessarose?"

I tense, my eyes immediately snapping back to him. "What?" It comes out much sharper than I'd intended.

"Your password. Who is she?"

I look away from him for a second before answering. "My sister."

He nods, handing the books back to me. "Keep these, they're a gift. I have too many as it is."

I take them as he opens my door and steps outside, looking back at me. "Goodnight, Minerva."

"Goodnight, Albus."

* * *

"Ah, finally finished." Armando Dippet leaned back in his chair, looking across his desk at his Deputy. They had been spending all morning filling out paperwork for the ministry.

"So, Albus, how do you think Miss McGonagall is adjusting?"

"Well enough, I believe. She's understandably… _uneasy_ around the other staff members, particularly after our last staff meeting. She was quite on edge, though she would rather die than admit it to anyone. I only know because I was there for it."

Armando sighs, "Yes, I expected as much. I really should apologize to her on Silvanus's behalf. Unfortunately, Kettleburn is continuing to be stubborn-"

At that moment, Silvanus Kettleburn came bursting into the room with a triumphant look in his eyes. Albus immediately got up from his seat, but was forced to close his eyes to avoid rolling them in irritation. What _now?_

"I've got it!"

"Pardon?"

"Proof! I've got proof that this _Minerva McGonagall_ is an impostor!"

Armando pinched the bridge of his nose. "Silvanus, we have already discussed this-"

"She doesn't exist in Germany either! That's where she claims to be from, and yet there is no trace of her, or her so called family anywhere in Germany. No trace in any magic schools either. What did I tell you? She must be a spy! I suggest she be escorted from Hogwarts immediately-"

Albus's eyes sparked with anger, but he did his best to keep himself calm. "Now, Silvanus, you are being rash. Have you forgotten that there is a _war_ going on in Germany? There are many records missing from the German ministry, and I doubt Professor McGonagall's will be the last."

Kettleburn snorts. "Really, Dumbledore, don't be daft. Her story is amateur at best; don't tell me you've actually fallen for it? Open your eyes, man! She's a danger to all of us! Just because you fancy her doesn't mean-"

Albus had heard quite enough, and he slammed his fist on the Headmaster's desk.

" _Enough!"_

Professor Kettleburn had been effectively silenced, and Albus glared at him furiously. "How _dare_ you! Professor McGonagall is a very powerful and respectable witch, and I refuse to sit here and allow you to paint her in such an unfavorable light, nor disrespect me in such a manner! Your evidence, as you call it, is _amateur at best_ and is based solely on some immediate dislike for a girl you barely know."

The temperature in the room seemed to lower as he spoke, his voice getting lower and deadlier every moment.

"You have no idea what Professor McGonagall has gone through, and your behavior since she arrived has been disgraceful. This is not how a professor of Hogwarts is supposed to behave. I suggest you get over your childish vendetta, and that includes making ridiculous accusations. I _respect_ Professor McGonagall and I expect you to do the same. And you will personally apologize for your ignorance and abysmal behavior. Do I make myself clear?"

Silvanus stared at Albus for a moment or two before looking at Armando for support, but he was surprised to see him glaring at him as well.

"Professor Kettleburn, the way you have behaved toward both Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore is disgraceful. I expect to see a marked improvement in the very near future. Whether or not you like her is your affair. But you _will_ respect her as a fellow Professor. I want to hear no more about this."

"But-"

"Was I not clear?" He did not raise his voice, but there was an authority behind his words that most people knew not to question.

Silvanus looked back and forth between the Headmaster and his Deputy. "Fine." He finally spit out. He glared at Albus before turning and storming out of the office.

Armando sighed as the door slammed behind him, "I don't understand him."

Albus shook his head in agreement before looking at the Headmaster. "I'm sorry I lost my temper."

He raised his hand and waved him off, "Not to worry, I understand. Albus… May I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"What is your opinion of Professor McGonagall?"

"As I told Kettleburn, I respect her a great deal. She's taken everyone's criticism rather well, considering. She is very powerful, that much is certain. But I know where you are going, Armando. Let me again ease your conscious. She is not dangerous, not in that sense. She would be an extremely formidable opponent, but she is not a spy. Of that, I am sure."

Armando nods. "I believe you. However, we do need some sort of records for her, as she will be employed as a Professor at Hogwarts. Regardless of the war, the Ministry will not be satisfied."

Albus had to agree with him. "I'll see what I can do." He said as he made his way to the door, bidding Armando goodbye as he went.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so I'm a bit stuck after this part, but hopefully I'll get over the block and be able to update soon. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know. And as usual, PLEASE REVIEW!


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys!

Sorry this took so long, but hopefully it helps!

As usual, I don't own the characters, and please review!

* * *

A little over a week after the staff meeting I find myself walking toward the Great Hall for dinner. Normally Albus insists on walking me, but he had a meeting with the Headmaster. Looking ahead, I notice Professors Slughorn and Merrythought looking at me, but they quickly turn away when they see me staring at them. I sigh. Most of the professors still don't know what to do with me. I suppose I can't really blame them, but I was hoping they'd get over it by now. Rolanda Hooch is all right, I suppose. She makes a point of talking to me whenever she runs into me, which I find I appreciate a great deal.

Halfway down to the first landing something bumps roughly into my shoulder, and I have to hold on to the railing to catch myself. "Oh, I'm so sorry was that my-"

I look up only to find Silvanus Kettleburn's face in front of mine. The smile on my face is instantly replaced by a glare and I don't bother finishing my sentence.

"I suggest you watch where you're going, Professor McGonagall. We wouldn't want you falling down the stairs."

I straighten up, forcing a slight smile on my face. "I'm sure you're right, professor. It's funny, I thought I felt something bump into me, but I must have been mistaken. After all, we're the only ones here."

The smug look on his face turns into a glare. "It must have been Peeves. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will work it out for you, much like everything else. Better run and tell him so he can take care of it."

"I'm not quite sure what you're insinuating but I suggest we go our separate ways before you say something you regret."

I take the few steps down to the first landing and start walking past him, but he grabs hold of my arm before I can move away from him.

I stare at his hand on my arm before looking at him. "Let go of me, Kettleburn."

"You act like you're better than everyone here because Dumbledore decided that you're his favorite. I know you're not who you say you are, but you have everyone else eating out of the palm of your hand."

He gets closer to me as he speaks in a low voice that makes my skin crawl, but I laugh despite it. "Hardly. I'm not sure what world you live in, but I most definitely don't have anyone in that position, especially not Professor Dumbledore. I suggest you get away from me and stop making ridiculous comments."

I attempt to walk away and retch my arm from him, but he doesn't let up on his grip and pulls me closer to him again.

"I am warning you, Kettleburn. Let me go. Now." I order in a low voice, almost like a growl.

"Minerva?"

I turn my head to find Albus and the Headmaster looking at me from downstairs. Armando is looking at Silvanus with suspicion, but Albus just looks concerned.

Silvanus grips my arm again, making me turn back to him. "They won't always be there to get you out of trouble. I _will_ find out who you are, I promise you that." He finally lets go of my arm, walking quickly down the stairs and past both Albus and Armando. I stand there for a second, shaking myself. I'll have to be more careful and make sure I'm not stuck alone with him.

"Professor?"

I turn and Albus and Armando are standing in front of me. I smile at them.

"Are you alright? What was Professor Kettleburn doing?"

I shake my head, smiling. "Nothing at all, we collided on the stairs and he was helping me maintain my footing."

I can tell they don't believe it. Armando still looks angry and Albus looks at me with a mix of outrage and concern. I don't hold either of their gazes. Instead, I turn away and walk past them the rest of the way down the stairs. They follow behind me silently, and when I reach the bottom of the stairs I turn back to them.

"Professor McGonagall, I hope you know you needn't keep quiet about any problems with the staff here. It's my job to make sure every professor in my employment feels welcome, and that includes you."

I nod, "Thank you so much, Headmaster Dippet. I assure you, I'm fine. I had hoped that the staff would overlook the incident with Professor Kettleburn sooner than this, but I'm sure it'll blow over in time. It's nothing I cannot handle."

"I should think not. And I'd also like to apologize on behalf of Silvanus for his behavior at the meeting. I know it's been a few days, but it wasn't the warmest welcome for you, and for that I am sincerely sorry. I have talked to him about it, and hopefully he will head the warning. If he doesn't do not hesitate in coming to me."

I manage a small smile, knowing that is most definitely not the case. "Thank you for your concern Headmaster, I appreciate it." I'm certainly not going to tell him how wrong he is in his assumption.

I can feel Albus staring at me, and I glance over at him. He looks almost as if he's trying to read my mind and figure out what Kettleburn was really doing so close to me in the stairwell. Great. If Albus knows something's amiss I know damn sure the Headmaster does, too.

"Professor?"

I turn my eyes quickly back to Armando. "Yes?"

"There is a small mystery we must solve, I'm afraid, regarding your records. It seems Silvanus checked the German ministry as well, but they did not turn up there, either."

"Ah, I see." So _that's_ what caused Kettleburn's outburst. "Oh dear, that is a problem."

"Indeed. Of course, with the war going on in Germany it's no wonder that your records are lost, as are many others, but the board won't like-"

"Actually, Armando, I believe I have solved the mystery."

"Have you, so soon?"

"Yes, it didn't take very long, just a quick owl to the Ministry after leaving your office. Upon further investigation into Professor McGonagall's records, they have been found. Because of the chaos surrounding Grindelwald and the war, they were simply misplaced. I have sent for them and they should be on your desk by tomorrow."

Until this point I'd been looking at the floor trying to figure out a feasible lie, but upon hearing Albus's words my head shot up to look at him. That's not possible! How could they have been found? I'm not even German, how could they show up in their ministry…

I stare at Albus, who glances back at me, but only for a moment. It takes every ounce of control I have to keep my mouth from dropping to the floor. Albus must have falsified the records upon realizing they weren't there. But, why? Wouldn't that be enough proof for him to know I'm not who I say I am? Why would he lie?

"Really? How wonderful, that saves us all a great deal of trouble and headache. Shall we go into dinner? I'm afraid we're late."

Albus and Armando start walking toward the doors, but I'm too busy trying not to panic to notice.

"Minerva, aren't you coming?"

I look up at Albus, trying not to look too out of sorts. "Actually, no. You go ahead, I don't feel very well suddenly. I'll see you at breakfast." I manage to smile at Albus, noticing Armando's concerned gaze behind him before turning and walking away as quickly as possible without looking suspicious.

* * *

An hour later I am still pacing back and forth in my rooms, trying to come up with a solution. I figured I would have to come up with a lie regarding my records eventually, but I never imagined they'd be found. I've been trying to come up with some other explanation, but they shouldn't even exist in the first place. Albus falsifying the records has to be the only option. The biggest question is why. That should have been enough to prove Kettleburn right, why would he risk it, and why would he lie to the Headmaster? It just doesn't make sense.

My thoughts are interrupted by a knock on my door and I allow entry without thinking about it. The next time I look up Albus is standing a few feet from me. I suck in a breath.

"Albus."

"I wanted to make sure you were alright, you left in such a hurry."

"Oh, I'm fine, I just have a lot on my mind."

"You're wondering about your records."

I pause for a second, surprised. It wasn't a question, but I find myself nodding anyway.

"Yes, in fact I am. I don't understand how you found them."

"I didn't find them exactly. But you needn't worry about it, Minerva. It's been taken care of."

I stare at him. "You lied? Why?"

"Because it would have hung over your head until they were found, so I took care of it."

"Albus, you can't just-"

"Relax, the records are official. Or, as official as possible. With the war in Germany I'm sure they won't look any further into it. As long as they have them, it's all that matters. I probably shouldn't be saying this, but our ministry isn't very thorough."

I shake my head, "If anyone found out, you'd be fired. I can't let you-"

"Ah, my dear. You underestimate me."

I sigh. I really shouldn't allow him to do this, but something about his expression keeps me from arguing with him.

"Albus… thank you. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"You don't need to, anything is worth the expression on Kettleburn's face when he finds out."

I laugh despite myself, and when I look up Albus is looking at me seriously again. "What was he really doing, Minerva? I didn't like how close he was, and Silvanus would have rather seen you fall down the stairs than catch you."

I huff, knowing he's right. "He bumped into me on purpose. He grabbed my arm and started threatening to expose me. He was making rather ridiculous comments regarding you and I, among other things."

He looks shocked, but I smile at him. "Don't worry about it, Albus. I know none of it is true, and hopefully once he knows my records have turned up he'll get over it."

"Why wouldn't you tell Armando about this? That was unprofessional of him on many levels. It's bordering on harassment."

I roll my eyes, "Don't be ridiculous, Albus. I've handled much worse than the likes of him. I didn't see any point in making it worse by telling the Headmaster. His opinions are not going to change no matter how many reprimands he gets. I can hold my own against him. I appreciate yours and Headmaster Dippet's concern, but I've never been one to go running to others to solve my problems."

I turn away from him, picking up a few papers scattered around the room. "Please don't say anything to the Headmaster. I can't stop you if you think it's necessary, but I'm asking you not to."

He sighs behind me. "If that is what you wish, my dear, I will not say a word. I will simply ask you to be vigilant. When his mind is set on something, Silvanus tends not to let it go."

I laugh once, "Is that all? If threatening me is the worst he can do, this will be simpler than I thought."

"I'm serious, Minerva."

I turn my head to look at him, "I know you are, Albus. You don't need to concern yourself so much; I'm _always_ prepared." I say, emphasizing the last part.

For a moment Albus looks as if he wants to either argue with me or ask me to elaborate, but he thinks better of it. Instead he sighs as I turn back around, sounding both exasperated and defeated.

"I don't doubt it. Just remember, should you ever need my assistance, regardless of circumstance, you need only ask for it."

I pause momentarily, confused and slightly concerned by his tone of voice. Where in the world did that come from?

But when I turn around to question him, Albus is gone.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please review! I like to hear what everyone's thoughts are.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey guys! I'm so sorry this took so long to update! I had a death in the family and the end of the semester was insane. Here it is, finally! Thanks for sticking around. And thank you to everyone who reviewed! And, of course, I don't own any of the HP characters.

Enjoy!

* * *

The morning of September first comes without further incident. Albus seems to have gotten over whatever was bothering him the week before and Kettleburn has, thankfully, kept his distance. I'm anxious enough about the students coming without him making it worse. The teaching part of it doesn't concern me; I've been working on lesson plans basically since I arrived. Knowing I'll be around children every day, considering my previous history of terrifying them, is what makes me nervous. Luckily, I still have a few hours to prepare myself since they won't actually arrive until tonight.

Madame Hooch has made quite a bit of effort to talk to me in the last few weeks. I've only ever had one legitimate friend in my life and that ended disastrously. Despite my best efforts to distance myself, it hasn't deterred her at all. According to Albus she is a stubborn woman when she wants something. She is seemingly hell-bent on becoming friends, though why she would _want_ to be friends baffles me.

Madame Pomphrey seems to be warming up to me too though she is still somewhat detached. She and Albus both look at me like they know more than I'm letting on, and this makes me very uncomfortable. Neither, much like Hooch, is at all discouraged by my defense mechanisms.

"Professor?"

I look up to find Professor Merrythought looking at me with slight concern in her face.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to see if you were alright. You seemed very far away."

"Oh, yes. I'm fine, just lost in thought. Can I help you with something?"

She smiles ever so slightly. "I understand. I just wanted to wish you luck on your first year. I'm sure you'll do brilliantly."

I find myself returning the smile, "Thank you, I appreciate that."

She nods before walking past me to her seat at the high table to eat her breakfast.

Well, at least most of the professors have finally gotten used me.

After breakfast I decide to go over this week's lesson plans in the teacher's lounge. I've been making an effort to avoid spending all of my time in my rooms. At the moment though, no one else is in here but me.

An hour or two later the door to the teacher's lounge opens and I look up, half hoping it'll be Albus. However, it's Silvanus Kettleburn that comes through the door and I fight the urge to groan. I look back down at my papers before he notices me. I'm aware of his eyes on me a few moments later, and his footsteps coming closer to my chair. When he stops in front of me I don't acknowledge him right away.

"Can I help you with something?" I finally ask, looking up at him.

"No, not at all. I just figured I'd check on you."

The smirk on his face and tone do not bode well. He's definitely up to something. The door opens and two other professors whose names I've yet to memorize come in and settle in chairs on the other side of the room.

Silvanus smiles, continuing the conversation despite the new audience. "Working on lesson plans, are you?"

I raise an eyebrow at him but don't respond. Instead I turn my attention back to my work.

"Of course," I can't hold back a sigh, looking back up. "I don't know why you're bothering with the pretense. You probably just got those from Dumbledore. He taught transfiguration before you, I'm sure he's letting you use his since you have no idea what you're doing."

I chuckle softly, "I hate to burst your bubble, but I have taught before. And, while Professor Dumbledore did give me his lesson plans to look over, I've adapted most of it."

"You sure seem to have quite a bit of confidence for your first year."

I roll my eyes. "Kettleburn, if you're trying to make me uneasy, trust me, it's not working. So please, either change the topic or go find your own work to do."

I look back down at my plans, trying to ignore him. I know he'll never give up that easily, but I'm about two seconds away from cursing the smile off his face.

"McGonagall, your charade isn't working on any of us. I mean no one here actually believes you'll be able to do this. You won't last a year." He says it loudly, spreading his arms out to the rest of the room for emphasis and glancing at the few other people in the room.

I glance at them too. Both are looking in my direction, obviously paying attention to our conversation. When I turn my head toward them, they immediately look away. I try unsuccessfully not to be bothered by this.

I put my head back down and look away from them. The slight smile I had on my face is gone when I look back up at him.

"Well, Kettleburn. I think you made your point. But fortunately for me, and _unfortunately_ for you, I don't really give a damn what you think of me. So, let's do everyone here a favor and end the show before you make another fool out of yourself."

Someone laughs and I look behind him to see Rolanda Hooch.

"You know, Kettleburn, I don't think Minerva's messing around. I'd take her advice."

I gather my things and stand from my seat, looking past Kettleburn to Rolanda.

"Ah, good afternoon Madame Hooch."

"Hello," She says cheerfully. "Having another row?"

I snort, "Whatever it is, I've grown bored with these games. I've got better things to do with my time."

I take a step in her direction only to be intercepted by Kettleburn. I glare at him.

"Move aside Kettleburn, or am I going to have to move you myself?"

Rolanda laughs, and when I look up I see Albus standing by the door.

"Tell me something, Minerva." Kettleburn obviously didn't hear the door open, because he doesn't turn around. Albus nods at me to respond and I roll my eyes in frustration.

"What." It comes out like a hiss. I want nothing more than to get out of this room and away from this. These people remind me of the people back in Oz that turned their heads away to avoid getting involved.

Rolanda must notice how angry I'm getting, because she steps toward Kettleburn. "Silvanus, stop being such a bloody git. You're being ridiculous, this isn't right."

I'd be surprised and maybe even moved if I wasn't preserving all my energy keeping myself from hexing this man into oblivion.

"No, no, it's a perfectly valid question, really. I was just curious what she was going to do about her nonexistent records, or if she planned on leaving before someone found out about the secret she's keeping so close."

"You disgust me, Silvanus." I tell him. He looks confused and slightly offended, but I don't give him the chance to respond.

"Do you honestly have nothing better to do? Or is it your job to make any newcomer feel like a spy and humiliate them in public? If you think that you are the worst challenge I've ever dealt with in my life, you are delusional. Despite that, no one should ever have to go through this to make a living. If you think by continuing this harassment you can make me leave, you are wasting your time."

I take the smallest step closer to him. I'm still a respectable distance away, but the threat in it is clear. "I try to avoid confrontation whenever possible, but you've given me no choice. I _will not_ stand for this any longer. I don't give a damn if you don't like me, but if you continue these pathetic attempts to alienate me, I will not be forgiving. From what I've heard, if you spent half of the time you spend uselessly trying to "expose" me working on your own lesson plans, your students would learn _much_ more than they are now."

I see Rolanda trying very hard not to lose her composure behind him. Albus clears his throat, finally making his presence known. Silvanus spins around, seeing him. I imagine his expression must be quite comical when he realizes Albus was witness to part of their conversation.

"I daresay Professor McGonagall has a point, Professor Kettleburn. I strongly suggest that at least once you take her advice, since you don't seem to heed mine or the Headmaster's." Albus raises his eyebrows in the way he normally does when he's joking, but his expression is beyond serious.

"Professor Dumbledore-"

He raises a hand to stop him. "As for the question of her records, I have wonderful news for you! They've been found."

His mouth drops open. "What?"

"Indeed. Apparently, they were only misplaced. By the time I checked on your facts, they were found."

"That's- That's impossible!"

"Yes, I figured you'd be most anxious to hear the news, Silvanus. Seeing as you were _oh_ so concerned about them and the safety of the school. Now it never needs to be brought up again. Don't you agree?"

The message in his statement is clear to everyone in the room. Silvanus doesn't look like he knows quite what to say. I laugh inwardly. Albus was right; it is _definitely_ worth the expression on Kettleburn's face.

When he turns back to me, I can see anger in his face, but I no longer care. Any upper hand he thought he had against me was just taken away.

I raise my head slightly, looking him in the eye. "Well, now that that's settled. Move aside, Professor." I say firmly.

He breaks eye contact after a few moments and walks quickly out the door.

I look at Madame Hooch to find her grinning broadly at me. "Go McGonagall! Minerva one, Silvanus zero!"

I chuckle, "Well, thank you very much for coming to my defense, Madame Hooch. Most people don't bother."

She smiles wider. "Call me Rolanda! If we're to be friends, we can't be calling each other by our last names."

I stare at her, "Ah…"

"Shall we?" Albus asks, gesturing toward the door. He opens it for us as we make our way out the door. Hooch glances at the wall behind us, suddenly looking distressed. "Bloody hell! I was so busy laughing at Kettleburn I didn't notice what time it was. I've got so much to do before the students arrive. Gotta fly!" She yells quickly, patting the arm holding my papers.

"See you at the feast, Min!" She yells behind her as she runs ahead of us out of the room.

I'm more than a bit shocked, and even more so when I hear Dumbledore laughing as he shuts the door behind us.

"Albus!" I slap his arm. "It's not funny! _Please_ tell me she's not going to start calling me that."

"I'm sorry my dear, but the odds don't look to be in your favor." He tells me, still laughing.

I groan as we walk further down the corridor. "You're no help whatsoever." To my slight annoyance and amusement, this only makes him smile more.

* * *

I hear the knock on my door just as I put my glasses on. Albus is here to walk with me to the Great Hall for the students' arrival. I take a deep breath to steady myself before opening the door.

"Minerva." Albus says with a smile.

"Hello." I give him a small smile in return.

As we make our way to the Great Hall I feel Albus looking over at me multiple times. After a few sideways glances I look at him.

"What?"

"You seem tense, are you alright?"

"Of course," I reply without looking at him.

Albus pauses for a moment. "Minerva, you'll do just fine. I'm sure of it."

I look at him now. "Thank you."

"You can do this. I wouldn't have hired you if I didn't have complete confidence in you."

I raise my eyebrow at him. I'm beginning to this this man is much too trusting.

"Albus, you didn't even know my name when you hired me."

He laughs, "Regardless, you're a talented and powerful witch, you'll do splendidly. If nothing else, you'll do everything you can just to prove Silvanus wrong."

I smile at him. "Well, when you put it that way..."

We both laugh as we walk into the Great hall and up to the High Table.

Albus sits next to the Headmaster and I take my seat next to Albus. Silvanus used to sit here, but ever since the first staff meeting he decided to move to the opposite end of the table, to the one that is the farthest away from me. I can't help but be pleasantly satisfied with the change.

A few minutes later the older students begin making their way into the hall and to their house tables. Albus stands from his seat to gather the first years in the entrance hall. I notice a few of the more observant students scanning the staff table for their teachers, and their eyes linger for a moment longer on me. No doubt they're wondering who the new teacher is.

I look up when Albus enters the hall with the first years in tow. They look around in wonder, excitement and a bit of fear. I find myself smiling at them.

As Albus warned, the Sorting Hat sings it's introductory song and the sorting begins. A few of the students take longer to sort than others, drawing out the ceremony. I'm sure the waiting probably gets tiresome after a while, but I find it fascinating to watch.

Armando stands to give a speech, during most of which I am busy focusing on the students. But when I hear my name, I freeze.

"It's my pleasure to introduce our newest addition and your Transfiguration professor, Minerva McGonagall."

He extended a hand in my direction and I sat stock still. Albus didn't mention that I'd be formally introduced in front of the students. Damn him!

Albus gives me a slight nudge and I look at him, trying not to look to nervous. He gives me a smile and nods at me to stand up.

I do it immediately, much more gracefully than I thought I would. I feel myself smiling slightly at the students and nodding. I'm surprised when I see the students clapping respectfully. Even the other professors are joining in. Everyone, I notice, except Kettleburn.

I sit back down a moment later, letting out a small sigh of relief as Professor Dippet begins the feast.

 _Well,_ I think to myself, a _t least none of the children ran screaming from the area like they used to. Of course, the lack of green skin might have something to do with it._

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! I will do my absolute best to update much sooner than before. I'm starting a new job soon so I'll be busy, but I'm definitely not going to abandon this story.

PLEASE REVIEW!

Thank you for waiting and until next time...

~Neve


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hey everyone!

Alright, here's a new update. I know I said I'd be faster than before, I probably wasn't. Sorry! Classes have started back up again, but I'm constantly working on this story to give you new updates. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, that's all.

I do not own any HP or Wicked characters.

Enjoy!

* * *

September passes fast, and before I know it October is nearly gone as well. Adjusting to the routine of teaching has been much simpler than I anticipated, and without any major accidents. I've spent considerable time exploring the castle, even playing late night games of chess with Albus. Since school began, he made a habit of coming to my rooms once a week to talk about recent events, and he eventually brought a chess board with him to give us something to do.

I open the door to my room only to run directly into Albus.

"Oh, I'm sorry, my dear."

"Albus? What are you doing here?"

"I came to escort you to dinner, of course."

I raise my eyebrow, "That's very nice, but you know you don't have to walk me to dinner every night, right? I appreciated you doing it when I first got here, but I know my way around now."

"If you'd prefer to walk alone…"

I shake my head, "No, not at all. I just don't want you to feel obligated."

"Never, my dear." He extends his arm. "Shall we?"

We walk in a comfortable silence, but I gasp at what I see when we finally enter the Great Hall. "Albus! What is all this?"

There are dozens of pumpkins with odd little faces carved into them, lit up and levitating in the air several feet above the tables. There's a strange orange tint in the Hall from all the lights.

"Why, they're decorations for Halloween!" Albus says with a smile.

"Halloween? What is that?"

Albus stares at me. "You don't know what Halloween is? Have you forgotten?"

"No? I've never heard of anything with that name."

"It's a holiday, Minerva. You know, candy, trick or treating, ghost stories, costumes, jack-o'-lanterns?"

I stare at him. "Jack-o'-lanterns?"

He points above the Hall, "The pumpkins. You honestly never celebrated Halloween when you were a child?"

I start to shake my head, but then I remember that he thinks I'm from Germany. Surely people in Germany must know what Halloween is.

"Well, no… My family wasn't much for celebrations." I recover quickly. "But this certainly is interesting."

I can feel Albus looking at me as I look around the Hall, but I don't acknowledge him.

Are you planning on wearing anything special to the feast?"

"Feast?"

"Yes, the Halloween Feast, on the thirty-first of course."

I laugh, "Albus Dumbledore, are you trying to get me into some ridiculous costume? Because if so, you're wasting your time."

He gets that infuriating twinkle in his eye again, "I'm serious, Albus. Don't even think about it!"

He raises his hands in defeat, "Alright, alright. No ridiculous costumes. But you wouldn't object to something small, would you? Something you could wear any day, not just on Halloween?"

"Well, I suppose not…" I trail off when I see the look on his face. He seems very pleased, and the look he's giving me makes me think I should have thought more about this before I gave him an answer.

* * *

"Well done, everyone. Class dismissed!"

Students begin to pack up their things and file out of the classroom. I immediately relax, sighing. The Gryffindor-Slytherin classes are always the most difficult ones. The older the students are, the more ridiculous their rivalries seem to be. The fifth years certainly aren't as tiresome as the seventh years, but I definitely feel a headache coming on.

I walk toward the door at the side of the room to put away the supplies from today's class. I have to remember to ask Poppy if she has anything to relieve headaches. I have a feeling I'm going to need them.

" _Serpensortia!_ " I hear a whispered voice coming from the classroom. I look up, confused. I thought all the students left?

Silently, I walk back through the door and look around. I see a student sitting at one of the desks in the front of the classroom with his back to me. He seems to be watching something… Did he just conjure a snake?

I take a few more tentative steps before I realize that the boy is Tom Riddle. What is he still doing here? Students aren't supposed to be in classrooms unsupervised. I watch him observing the snake for a moment longer, but just when I'm about to speak, Riddle begins making strange hissing sounds. The snake, I notice, seems to be paying rapt attention to Riddle, almost as if it can understand him.

 _Riddle can talk to snakes?_ Though I can't understand what he's saying, his tone turns darker, almost frightening, dangerous. I pull out my wand on reflex, pointing it at the snake.

" _Vipera Evanesca!_ " The snake immediately vanishes into a puff of black smoke, and Riddle jumps out of his chair, facing me.

"Professor!"

"Mr. Riddle." I say in my most serious tone, at this point very concerned and more than a bit angry. "I am sure you are aware that students are not allowed in classrooms without a teacher's knowledge."

He looked surprised at first upon seeing me, but now his expression is oddly blank, almost smug. "Of course, I apologize. It just took me longer to pack up my things."

I raise my eyebrow sharply at the boldness of the lie. "What were you doing with that snake, Mr. Riddle? The Serpensortia Spell isn't taught until sixth year, and for good reason."

Riddle gives me a small smile. "I came across it one day in the library, it seemed interesting."

"Yes, well, interesting or not Mr. Riddle, I trust I will not catch you summoning anymore snakes in my classroom, nor anywhere else in this castle until your sixth year."

His mouth twitches, but his smile remains intact. "Whatever you say, Professor McGonagall."

I give him a stiff nod. "You are dismissed."

He turns, grabbing his pack before sauntering past me. Surprised, I begin to walk back toward my desk before looking back at him.

"Mr. Riddle?" He turns. "I'd be more careful about who catches you talking to animals. Something tells me you could get yourself into quite a bit of trouble." I quip shortly.

The small smile on his face is instantly wiped away and is replaced with a much less charming look. I give him a smile of my own before turning away from him in favor of my desk. I look over my shoulder just in time to see him storming out the door.

I sit at my desk for a moment or two, mulling things over. I know I have essays to grade in front of me, but there's something about Tom Riddle that sets my teeth on edge. Something tells me that there aren't many students at Hogwarts that have the ability to talk to snakes, _if_ that was in fact what he was doing. This cannot be a good sign.

"Smug little git." I say under my breath to the now empty classroom. That is definitely one student I'll be keeping an eye on this year.

* * *

The next day, Albus comes to my quarters with a chess set like he always does at the end of the week. I make us both a cup of tea before we start playing, but we only get a few moves in before Albus looks up at me.

"Minerva? Minerva."

I've been staring blankly at the pieces, but I look up at him.

"Yes?"

"What are you thinking about? It certainly isn't chess."

I sigh, "I'm sorry, Albus."

He smiles at me. "It's no trouble, my dear. Do you want to talk about it?"

I stand from my chair and turn my back on him in favor of the fireplace. "I've been trying to think of the best way to bring this up."

"What?"

"Something strange happened with one of my students yesterday, and I'm not quite sure what to make of it." I glance at him.

Albus looks at me, seemingly a bit surprised. "Really? Which student?"

"A fifth year, Tom Riddle."

Albus's expression instantly changes into one of suspicion, and the twinkle constantly in his eye dims a bit.

"What did he do? Did he hurt you in any way?"

I look back at him, openly shocked. "Of course not! No, nothing like that." I say quickly, though it makes me wonder just what Albus thinks the boy is capable of. Maybe I was right to be suspicious of him, after all.

"I heard him in my classroom after I'd dismissed the class. I thought everyone was already gone. He'd done the Serpensortia spell, which of course he shouldn't even know yet. Before I could do anything about it, he started making these odd hissing sounds. Albus, I swear it looked like he was… _talking_ to the snake, and it was obvious it was listening to him."

Albus doesn't say anything yet, but he moves to sit on the couch, nodding for me to continue.

"His voice… was off, somehow. It sounded dangerous suddenly, and I banished the snake. He didn't seem frightened at all that he'd been caught. He actually seemed smug. I've never seen anything like it. Is this, the speaking to snakes thing…"

Albus shakes his head, anticipating the question. "No, Minerva it isn't common, but it happens. It's called Parseltongue, snake language. The only person known to be a Parselmouth was Salazar Slytherin, one of the founders of the school. Tom is the only other person I've seen with the ability."

"Parselmouth…" I whisper, mostly to myself. That's something I'll have to do some research on, then.

"Albus, I'm sorry, but something about him seemed wrong. I hate to suspect a student, but…"

"So you haven't fallen for his charms like all the other professors, then?"

I scoff, "Of course not. People much better than him have tried." I say, though I am surprised by his response. I guess none of the other professors see what I do.

"Be careful around Tom, Minerva. I understand your suspicions; I have them too. Tom has always been a troubled child. Please, just be careful."

I nod, exceedingly concerned about what Albus thinks Riddle could be up to.

"Minerva?" Albus calls, and I look back up at him.

"Are you sure nothing else happened? You look concerned."

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm just surprised."

"By what?"

"Riddle's attitude. He was so flippant, completely unconcerned with the fact that he was caught by a professor. Perhaps it's simply because I'm new, but I've never seen anything like it in a student."

Albus shakes his head. "No, my dear, it's not you. I'm sure the fact that he doesn't know you has something to do with it, but he's like that with nearly every professor. They simply like him so much they don't seem to notice."

"I'm sure he's not like that with you, Albus."

He sighs, "No, Tom knows better than to try to charm me like everyone else. And my guess is he knows better with you now, too."

I nod in agreement. If Tom Riddle thinks he's going to fool me, he obviously isn't as smart as he thinks he is.

Albus suddenly smiles, sitting down on the couch. "Come, Minerva, I have something for you."

I stare at him, confused. "What? Why?"

"Let's call it a Halloween gift."

"People exchange presents on Halloween?"

"Not usually, no. But you need something to join in the festivities!"

Suddenly a rather large box materializes on the table in front of the couch.

"Albus! What in the name of…" I'm more than a bit surprised by the size of the gift.

"Don't worry, it's nothing elaborate, I just couldn't risk it getting damaged."

I raise an eyebrow at him, but open the box without further delay, only to gasp when I remove the lid.

Inside the box is a witch's hat. It's black, with a wide brim and a point that is crooked at the top. Shock renders me almost unable to move, and I can't tear my eyes away from it. If I didn't know any better, I would swear that this is the hat that was left in Oz.

The one Glinda gave me as a joke for the dance so long ago.

"Where did you find this?" I whisper.

"At a shop in Diagon Alley. I promised no costumes, but this is something you're able to wear any time you wish, not just on Halloween." He says quickly, still smiling, completely unaware.

* * *

When Albus leaves a little while later, I find myself staring at the hat once again. When Albus explained he got the hat from Diagon Alley, I was suddenly able to breathe again. I realized, of course, that it's impossible for this hat to be the same one from back then, but it looks exactly like it. The hat that people recognized before they even saw me coming.

I sigh. It's almost funny to me, how quickly Oz comes back into my thoughts. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, I forget I was ever Elphaba Thropp to begin with; That I was ever the Wicked Witch of the West. Never for very long, but it happens every once in a while.

I reach out and pick up the hat before going to the mirror. After only a moment's hesitation, I put the hat on my head.

For a split second, I see the girl with green skin and brown eyes looking back at me before I realize I'm no longer that girl. I blink, and the green skin is gone, back to the pale tone it was when I awoke in the infirmary, and my eyes are once again the strange green that I still have no bloody explanation for.

The hat may remind me of my past, but Albus gave me this, not Glinda. It doesn't have to symbolize Elphaba Thropp, Wicked Witch. This time, the hat belongs to Minerva McGonagall, Transfiguration Mistress at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

I smile at the thought.

* * *

The next day at breakfast, I arrive to the Great Hall in the hat that Albus had given me the night before. Seeing me, Albus smiles like an idiot.

"Ah, Minerva! I see you took my advice about the hat."

"You mean not just wearing it on Halloween? Yes, I did indeed." I say, sitting down next to him.

"It suits you. I like that you added the feather. It was missing something before, I just couldn't figure out what it was. You seem to have done it."

"I'm glad you approve." I say, smiling slightly.

I turn toward my breakfast, but out of the corner of my eye I see Albus's expression change to something more serious and thoughtful.

"Albus?"

"Forgive me, my dear. I was just thinking… Last night you seemed shocked by it. Almost frightened. I do hope it was a good surprise."

I should really stop being so surprised at what this man notices. "Yes, Albus, it was. It was just…" I sigh. "An old friend of mine gave me a hat just like this one a long time ago. The resemblance startled me. I was reminded of her."

Albus nods, "Where is she now?"

I look at him, then quickly away again. "Gone. I haven't seen her since before..."

"I am sorry, Minerva. I didn't mean to remind you of anything painful."

I look at him. He looks genuinely sorry, and I take his hand for a moment, squeezing it reassuringly under the table.

"Not at all, Albus. I love the hat. Actually, I should be thanking you. You've given me new memories instead. You'll never know how grateful I am for that. Honestly."

I smile at him, waiting for him to smile back before we both return to our plates.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it, and again, I apologize for it taking so long.

Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed thus far, it really does mean a lot to me. I look forward to hearing from you again.

Please review!

Until next time...

~Neve


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hello again! I know, I'm terrible at updating. It's been bothering me, but I've had one hell of a case of writer's block for this story despite countless attempts, but I _finally_ finished this chapter. So at last, here's an update!

To those of you that stuck around for it, thank you so much! And thank you of course to those that have reviewed for me.

I do not own any HP or Wicked characters, unfortunately.

Enjoy!

* * *

Albus Dumbledore smiled to himself as he finished more of the paperwork on his desk and looked at the clock on the wall of his office. Eleven-fifteen in the morning. Today was the day he was, finally, going to get Minerva to go flying with him. He and Madame Hooch had been trying to get her on a broom since the first month she arrived, but she adamantly refused. Every time after that, she always came up with an excuse not to join them. At first, Albus thought it was because she had a fear of flying, but Minerva scoffed at him and even looked a bit offended by the notion. What's more, when Quidditch was brought up the week before, she didn't seem to know what he was referring to.

" _So Minerva, are you excited for the first Quidditch game next week? The staff tends to get just as excited as the students. The first is Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, which everyone knows should be an entertaining one."_

 _He smiled at her, but she looked back at him with confusion. "Quidditch?"_

" _Surely you know Quidditch! Even Germany has it's own team; they've played quite a few times in the Quidditch World Cup!"_

 _Albus mirrored her confusion. The German National Quidditch team was well known in Europe. How could Minerva not know about Quidditch?_

 _Even as he thought this, Minerva's face dawned a look of realization, as though a sudden thought had just occurred to her. Albus noticed this same look come across her face many times in the last few months, whenever he reminded her of something she should already be familiar with, much like Halloween._

" _Oh! Oh, yes. Quidditch, of course, how silly of me. I never played or followed it very closely in Germany."_

" _Well, there's nothing stopping you now!" Albus said excitedly. "We've been trying to get you on a broom for months. I can get you to go flying with me and refresh you on the rules of Quidditch before the game next week. Rolanda can join us."_

 _Minerva smiled after a moment, "That sounds wonderful, Albus."_

Albus never was able to figure out Minerva's aversion to getting on a broom, but he supposed it didn't matter now that she'd agreed to go flying. He looked at the pile of work still to be done on his desk. He figured he could do a bit more before meeting Minerva and Rolanda on the pitch.

* * *

I glance up from the book I've been reading to look around me. I thought I'd heard something, but I suppose it was just a student who dropped a book. I'm sure if anyone were to see me, it may look a bit strange. After all, seeing your professor in a secluded corner of the library with three books open around her probably isn't something a student sees every day. Luckily, no one has come to disturb me yet.

Since my arrival, I've done a great deal of research on Hogwarts and Europe. One of my first priorities was learning everything I could find about Germany, especially Grindelwald, since he's part of my cover story. I had to be careful, because who knows what someone may have thought if they'd seen me with those books.

However, since my encounter with the Riddle boy, my focus has switched more to Parseltongue. Albus was right, the only known parselmouth was Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts. How is it possible that Tom Riddle is the only other person Albus has ever heard of with the ability?

I've asked myself more times than I care to admit why I would feel so uncomfortable with a student who has the ability to talk to an animal, when I myself spoke to them all the time in Oz. In doing this research, though, I finally found my answer. In Oz, it was commonplace for Animals to speak. There are no talking Animals in Europe, Hogwarts, or anywhere else that I've discovered.

Even with this information, there was something else about the encounter that bothers me. I've replayed that day in my head many times. It was the _way_ that Riddle's voice changed; It was dangerous, something that no teacher should hear from a fifteen-year old. It brought every survival instinct I've ever had back to the forefront of my mind. His voice triggered something in me and I knew I'd have to keep an eye on him.

He has not openly challenged me since that day in my classroom. In fact, he has barely spoken to me aside from answering a question. But, sometimes I'll notice him watching me, or looking at me with this strange look in his eyes. It's almost vengeful, as if I'd angered and embarrassed him somehow. If he sees me looking at him, though, he looks away after a few moments. Once, I realized that if my glasses were off when I looked at him, he wouldn't hold my gaze for longer than half a second. I guess my new eye color is unnerving to more than just myself. I try not to use it to my advantage, but I do if necessary.

I look at the clock, sighing when I realize I need to meet Albus and Rolanda on the Quidditch pitch. I've been avoiding flying with them for months, but Albus seemed so excited and hopeful I couldn't help but say yes. According to what I've read, Quidditch is apparently a game played on brooms. It's an odd game, and for some absurd reason it has four balls, but I suppose I can see the appeal.

I desperately need to remember not to be so open in my questioning. When Albus mentioned the game last week, like an idiot I forgot that I'm supposed to be from Germany, where there is a team that plays in the world cup. Of course I should know what Quidditch is! At least, that's what Albus thinks. I was able to recover fairly easily, but I didn't miss the confused look on his face.

I laugh as my mind turns to that first conversation Albus and I ever had about flying. He actually thought I was afraid of it! What a ridiculous thought. Flying on a broom was my principal route of transportation in Oz, after all. That's why I was so reluctant to go in the first place. Last time I flew on a broom, it was as the Wicked Witch of the West. I terrified people on that broom, and I didn't want to take any chances.

Even so, I know it's just my paranoia of being discovered getting the better of me. I did love flying, and I got exceptionally good at it, thanks to the Wizard and his band of Witch Hunters. If brooms are commonly used in the game of Quidditch, I don't see any reason I can't join in.

* * *

When I finally arrive at the pitch, Rolanda and Albus are already waiting for me with brooms in their hands. Rolanda seems impatient.

I raise an eyebrow, "Am I late?"

"Not at all, my dear. Rolanda is just easily excited for anything involving flying."

"I see."

Rolanda smiles at me. I can feel the excitement radiating off of her. "So, Min, Albus said you've never flown before."

I sigh inwardly. She's taken to using that nickname nearly every time she sees me, despite my many attempts to get her to stop.

"Not quite. I've never played Quidditch before. I have flown before, it's just been a while."

If it's possible, her excitement increases tenfold. "Excellent! This should be good. Well, then, let's get started. Mount the broom." She says as I catch the broom she tosses toward me.

I do as she says and mount the broom, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. I see Albus trying not to laugh at my expression.

"Good. Now, on the count of three-"

"Rolanda. I know you're used to having to teach first years how to fly, but I'm not one of them. I don't need coaching." I say, giving her a small smile.

"Oh, right." She smiles sheepishly, looking down at the ground for a moment before looking at me. "Sorry Min. Whenever you're ready, then. Albus and I will follow."

Rolanda looks at me expectantly. I laugh to myself, deciding to have fun with it. After all, this is the first time I've been on a broom in months, and it's not like anyone's going to attack me this time.

I push off of the ground and instantly soar high into the air. The speed of the broom surprises me, but I push it to go faster. Before I know it, I'm spinning, flipping and flying high above the pitch at higher speeds than I ever achieved in Oz. After a moment of hesitation, I reach up and loosen my bun, letting my hair fall in waves down my back. I close my eyes, reveling in the feeling of the wind on my face and whipping through my hair. God, I missed this.

After a good few minutes, it occurs to me that Rolanda said something about Albus and her following after me, but I don't see them. Looking down toward the ground, I see their figures still standing on the pitch. I wonder why they didn't follow?

I fly back toward the ground, dismounting just before reaching it a few feet away from them.

"What happened to following behind me?" I ask, smiling at them. "Couldn't keep up?"

Rolanda looks thunderstruck. So does Albus, but he's not as obvious about it.

"Bloody hell." Rolanda finally utters. "Did you just-" She looks behind her at Albus. "Did she just make a joke? And she's smiling!"

This actually makes me smile wider. "Come on, Rolanda! I thought you wanted to go flying."

"I- Of course I do! But I wasn't expecting you to be bloody brilliant at it! Why in the hell didn't you want to come flying with us? It's been a long time since I've seen someone that good on a broom."

I laugh again, looking at Albus behind her. "I told you I knew how to fly."

Albus doesn't say anything. In fact, he looks even more surprised than he did before. I smile at him.

"So, are we flying, or aren't we? And, you still have to teach me about Quidditch."

Rolanda looks excited again. "Right!"

"Well, then," I say, smirking at them as I mount my broom. "Catch me if you can!" I yell behind me, laughing aloud when I see Rolanda nearly kill herself getting on her broom to try.

* * *

Later, I've still got a smirk on my face. Flying put me in a better mood than I'd been expecting, and Albus and Rolanda's faces made it so much better! After a few moments, Albus was finally able to get over his shock, and the three of us had a wonderful time. They taught me all about Quidditch; we even played a friendly game. It actually is pretty fun, even despite the absurdity of having four balls.

"Minerva!"

I turn around to find Rolanda walking toward me. I smile at her.

"Hello, Rolanda. How are you?"

"Brilliant! I still can't get over how easily you picked things up today. You're a natural at Quidditch! Are you sure you've never played before? Maybe you just don't remember."

I raise an eyebrow at her but then I realize. _The amnesia, right._

"Perhaps you're right. In any case, I'm glad you were entertained."

"It was amazing. Where did you learn to fly like that? I had a hard time keeping up with you, and that's never happened before."

I laugh, "Well thank you. I think Professor Dumbledore was surprised as well. I've had..." I clear my throat, "Plenty of practice with flying over the years."

"I guess so. I don't know how you did it, but it was wicked. I just thought I'd let you know."

I flinch ever so slightly at her wording, realizing only a moment later it was completely harmless. I sigh inwardly. I am really starting to hate that expression.

"Min?"

I look back up to see Rolanda looking at me closely, a bit of concern in her eyes.

"Minerva? Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes. Of course."

"Okay." She smiles.

"I'll see you at the game later, right?"

I nod, smiling back at her. "Absolutely."

"Great! See you there!" A moment later she's gone, already halfway down the corridor.

* * *

"Hello, Minerva." Albus says, catching up to me as I leave the spectator tower after the match.

"Hello."

"So what did you think, now that you've seen an actual game of Quidditch?"

"To be honest, I found it very entertaining. It was fun to play, and I understand why so many like it now. It is very exciting, if dangerous." I say, recalling when a Slytherin beater nearly knocked a Gryffindor student off of her broom several feet in the air.

"Fair enough. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, and I'm sure Madame Hooch will be thrilled." Albus smiles, his eyes twinkling like mad.

I groan, "Oh, no! We _cannot_ tell Rolanda how much I liked it. She'll become impossible if she finds out."

Albus laughs, "Alright, my dear. Your secret is safe with me."

I laugh too, "Thank you."

"Care to join me for a cup of tea in my rooms?"

I smile, "That sounds lovely. Lead the way."

* * *

After getting us our tea, Albus and I sit down on his couch watching the fireplace.

"Minerva, have I ever told you about the house-elves?"

I look at him, puzzled. "House-elves? No, I think I would remember that."

"Well, I'm sure you've heard of them, the creatures that serve mostly well-known and very old Wizarding families. But Hogwarts also has her own house-elves."

"Oh?"

"Yes, they work mostly in the kitchens, preparing the food and cleaning the castle."

My eyes widen, "They do all that?"

He smiles, "Yes, but there are hundreds of them, of course."

"Of course." I agree, playing along. "But if they only work for Wizarding families, how did so many of them come to be here?"

"Helga Hufflepuff brought them to the castle so that they would have good working conditions. After all, house-elves have a long history of being mistreated by their masters, but of course you'd already know about that."

Now I shake my head, "Sorry, no. My family didn't have house-elves."

"I see." Albus doesn't seem to find this odd, and moves on quickly. "Well, house-elves are creatures that are bound to their masters and are absolutely obedient to their every demand. Unfortunately, rather than be grateful for this, many wizards took this for granted and treated them like slaves. They don't have very many rights, and most see them only as servants without any feelings or worth."

His explanation makes me feel sick. "That- That's horrible!"

"Not to worry, Minerva. Hogwarts house-elves aren't treated like that at all. In fact, the elves actually like working here. Many of the professors have a few favorite ones that they'll call upon if they need something, much to their delight."

I breathe a sigh of relief, "Well, then I'm glad they have a decent place to live and work instead of being treated like animals."

"Indeed. Would you like to meet one?"

I pause, surprised. It seems like an odd question, but I have to admit that I am curious.

"Uh… yes?"

"Wonderful. Pipsy!"

Albus's voice does not raise, but not even a moment later there is a loud _CRACK_ and a creature appears in front of us.

"Oh!"

I stare at it for a moment, more than a bit startled by the sudden appearance. The creature can't be more than two feet tall, with thin arms and legs and a much-too-large head for it's body. It's large ears flop slightly when it moves, and it looks up at Albus with oversized green eyes.

"Mr. Dumbledore?" The creature asks in a high voice, making it obvious that it's female.

"Hello, Pipsy." Albus smiles kindly at the elf. "I wanted you to meet someone. This is Professor McGonagall." He gestures to me.

"Hello," I say quietly. I feel rather silly, but I don't want to be rude to her, either.

"Hello, Miss." The elf smiles just slightly.

"Pipsy, if the professor should need anything, I hope it won't be asking too much of you to take care of it for her."

My head whips back toward Albus, but before I can protest the elf responds.

"Of course, Mr. Dumbledore. It would be Pipsy's pleasure."

"Albus! What are you doing? I thought the elves worked for Hogwarts, I don't want you to _give_ me a house-elf." I protest quietly. The thought of having this poor creature as my servant, especially against her will is making me physically ill.

"I'm not giving her to you, Min, don't worry. She still works at Hogwarts, she's not going to be _your_ elf. She'll just be there to help if you need anything. All you need to do is call for her."

"No, no, I'm sure Pipsy would much rather..."

"Pipsy is sorry to interrupt, Miss, but it is no trouble for Pipsy. Pipsy would gladly help a professor of Hogwarts in any way she can. Do not worry, Professor. It is not against Pipsy's will."

"But- But I really wouldn't have anything for you to do, dear. I don't need to bother you."

"That's alright, Miss. It is no bother, Pipsy is glad to do it. All you need to do is call for Pipsy when you need her, no matter what it is."

I'm still uncomfortable with this arrangement, but the elf almost seems happy with this development. I get up from the couch to kneel in front of her.

"Are you absolutely sure about this, Pipsy? I don't want you to do something you don't want to do, ever."

Pipsy looks surprised, but she almost smiles. "Pipsy is sure, Professor."

"Please, call me Minerva."

"Of course, Miss Minerva."

I smile a bit, thinking that's about as good as I'll get from the elf. "Very well then, it was lovely to meet you, Pipsy." I say, taking one of her small hands in mine, shaking it.

If possible, her large eyes get even bigger, and she looks over at Albus.

"Oh, Pipsy likes her very much, Mr. Dumbledore!"

Albus chuckles behind me, "I'm glad to hear it. I had a feeling you two would get on well. Thank you very much, Pipsy."

She nods, "Of course." She says, taking that as her exit. With a snap of her fingers and a _pop,_ she's gone.

I walk back to the couch. "Oh, Albus, you sneak!"

"I know, but I knew you'd like each other. And despite what you might think, Minerva, she is _not_ a servant. I know that is what's bothering you."

"Then why are they bound to the castle? Why can't they leave?

"House-elves can only be freed if they are given clothes."

"So why haven't they been given clothes!" I ask, giving him an incredulous look.

"As I said dear, they like working here, and this is a much better alternative to the life many of them could have. Believe me, I tried giving a Hogwarts house-elf a piece of clothing once. The poor thing became hysterical and ran away; he didn't even take it. He thought we were trying to make him leave. It never goes over very well."

I sigh, "Alright, fine. In any case, I'm glad I met her, even if I won't call her often."

Albus smiles, "Honestly, Pipsy seemed quite taken with you. I have a feeling she'll be very happy if you call her for something."

I smile too, sipping my tea. "We'll see."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! **Please review!** I already have part of the next chapter done, so let's all hope that I can escape the writer's block this time! Thanks so much for waiting and being patient with me.

Until next time...

~Neve


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hello, dears! Here's another one for you. Took a bit longer than expected, and it was originally supposed to be longer, but I figured it'd be too long, and it'd have taken longer to update. So, what the hell. More to look forward to next time, I suppose!

I tried to make this as accurate as possible. Of course, I **don't** own any Harry Potter or Wicked characters!

Enjoy!

* * *

" _Attention! Halt, in the name of the Wizard!"_

" _No, stop! Let me go!"_

" _I'm sorry it took us so long to get here, Miss."_

 _I stare at the woman in front of me. I knew she was angry, but_ this? " _I can't believe you would sink this low, to use my sister's death as a trap to capture me?!"_

" _No, I never meant for that to happen!" Glinda insists, but she is interrupted by a new voice as he lands in the middle of us._

" _Let the green girl go!"_

 _Fiyero, no. Why is he here? Did he follow me?_

" _I said let her go! Or explain to all of Oz how the Wizard's guards watched while Glinda the Good was slain." He demands, turning his weapon on Glinda._

" _Fiyero, no-"_

" _Let. Her. Go."_

 _After only a moment's hesitation the guards release me. "Elphaba, go, now." He says, tossing me my broom and my hat._

" _No, not without you."_

" _Hush, now! GO!" He screams, giving me no choice but to obey his wish._

 _As I run, I can still hear them. Everything inside me screams to turn around and go back, but Fiyero's look of hope that I would survive stops me. I have to hope against the odds that he knows what he is doing._

" _Seize him!"_

" _No, wait! What are you doing? Stop it! In the name of Goodness, stop!" I can hear Glinda screaming, too._

" _Don't you see? He was never going to harm me. He- he loves her."_

" _Take him out to that field there!" No!_

" _No, wait!"_

" _Put him up on those poles 'till he tells us where the Witch went!"_

" _No, don't hurt him, please don't hurt him!"_

" _Fiyero!"_

* * *

"FIYERO!"

I wake screaming his name at the top of my lungs, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Oh…"

It was so real; like I was there, back in Oz reliving the hellish moment that I left him with those guards. It was almost a sense of Deja vu, knowing I'd seen it before and wanting to do something differently, but I couldn't. I was doomed to repeat the same mistake, and I left him there to die.

I try to take several deep breaths, but my heart rate doesn't decrease. I lean forward until my head is leaning against the bed sheets.

"Oh, Fiyero I am so sorry."

 _Don't you see? He was never going to harm me. He loves her._

Glinda's words haunt me again even when I'm awake. I wish he hadn't loved me; if he loved her instead, he would've been safe. I couldn't protect him like Glinda could have. I had magic on my side, but even trying that wasn't enough to save him from what I can only imagine was a terrible death in that field.

With shaking hands I pull back the sheets and get out of bed. I know I won't be able to go back to sleep tonight. Instead, I make myself a cup of tea, busying myself with making it rather than calling Pipsy. Besides, it's the middle of the night; and I'm sure the elf is asleep. I sit on the couch by the fireplace outside my room, staring at the fire with the cup of tea in my hands.

The dreams started over a week ago. They're always memories. Memories of all the terrible things I did in Oz, all the people I hurt without meaning to. Nessarose was the first one, the night she took the Grimmerie and changed Boq into the Tin Man.

 _"Elphaba, do something!"_

 _"I can't. You can't reverse a spell once it's been cast!"_

 _"Then what are we going to do?! This is all your fault! If you hadn't have shown me that old book!"_

I can still hear her screaming at me, and I shake my head to make it go away. I may not have been the one to steal Boq's heart with that spell, but I was the one to turn him into what he was. It was to save him, but it didn't matter, and of course Nessa never told the truth about what happened that night. After all, I was the one that showed her the spell book. So in the end, I suppose Nessa was right.

I close my eyes, focusing on the warmth from the fire. It's been months since I escaped Oz, and yet these dreams are just starting now. Part of me almost thinks it's a punishment; that they're haunting me for everything I've done, even here. I know it's ridiculous, because I've never been one to believe in such nonsense. If anything, it's my own guilt that's causing this. I don't know how to make it stop, either.

I open my eyes and look down at the cup of tea I have resting on my lap, now cold and untouched. I sigh, deciding to heat it so that I can finish it before getting a very early start to my day. I suppose I'd better get used to some sleepless nights.

* * *

Thankfully, the next day is Saturday, so I don't have to worry about teaching for a few days. I've been up since four o'clock this morning with more nightmares, and couldn't fall back asleep. I did what grading I had left, but unfortunately that also means I have nothing left to occupy my time.

"Mistress?"

I flinch, jumping about two feet in the air from my spot on the couch. I look over by the door to see Pipsy with a tray levitating next to her, looking up at me sheepishly.

"Pipsy? What are you doing here?"

"Pipsy is sorry to disturb you, Mistress. Pipsy was concerned when she learned you weren't at breakfast, and when you didn't go to lunch, well…"

The elf trails off, looking more and more uneasy by the second. My brows knit together, confused. I look at the clock on my wall. Oh my, is it really one o' clock?

"Oh. Oh I didn't realize…" I look back at the elf, and suddenly the tray next to her makes sense. "Is that for me?"

Pipsy smiles a bit now, "Yes Mistress. Pipsy thought you might be hungry." She walks closer, bringing the tray with her and levitating it onto the table in front of the couch.

"That is very thoughtful of you, dear. You didn't have to do that."

"It was no trouble. As Pipsy said, she was just concerned. Food is important, Mistress."

I smile slightly, "You're right. And please, call me Minerva. I'm no one's Mistress, Pipsy."

"Okay, Miss Minerva. Please, eat." Pipsy says, but she makes no move to leave. I guess she wants to stay to make sure I eat like I'm supposed to.

I do as I am told, reaching for the food on the tray. "I am sorry for worrying you, Pipsy."

* * *

Pipsy watches Miss Minerva while she eats; making sure it's enough to sustain her.

She nods at her apology. "It's alright, Miss Minerva. Pipsy just wanted to help and make sure everything was all right. Pipsy hopes she did not upset you." Pipsy looks down.

"Of course not!" Miss Minerva says quickly, looking down at her. "This was very kind of you, Pipsy, and I'm very grateful to you. I'm sorry I wasn't in the Great Hall. I've been distracted today."

Pipsy noticed that Miss Minerva's eyes dropped from hers at the last statement. When she looked closer at the professor, Pipsy could see that she looked paler than normal and had dark circles under her eyes that were not there a few weeks before. Pipsy wondered if Miss Minerva was getting enough sleep. It certainly didn't look like it. She looked exhausted.

"Are you alright, Miss Minerva?"

The professor looked surprised. "What? Of course. Why do you ask?"

"Pipsy is sorry, Miss Minerva. You look tired, Pipsy didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not upset dear, don't worry. You're very observant. Thank you for your concern, I just didn't sleep well last night, that's all."

She puts her plate back on the tray, looking back at Pipsy. "Thank you for bringing me food. I do appreciate it very much."

"No thanks necessary, Miss Minerva. Pipsy was happy to be of help." Pipsy reached up to take the tray off the table. "If you don't want to go to dinner this evening, just call Pipsy. She'll gladly bring food to you."

Miss Minerva smiled at her, "Thank you dear. I'll call you if I need you, I promise."

Pipsy smiled at the professor, and with a snap of her fingers, she was gone.

* * *

I don't go to dinner; I decide to take Pipsy up on her offer of bringing me dinner in my rooms. I don't have the energy to be around all those people and put on the charade today. I know I'd fail if I even tried. I'm just so tired. I haven't been able to sleep for more than a couple hours at time. Briefly I think about going to Poppy to see if she has something to help me sleep, but no, I'm sure she's busy. After all, it's my problem, and I don't need Poppy to start being concerned about me. I stay up for as long as I can, but when I start falling asleep on the couch, I figure it's time to try sleeping. Hopefully I'm too tired to dream.

* * *

 _I hit the ground softly, looking around but seeing no one. I smile a bit at my success. I'll free those monkeys and with any luck no one will know I'm here until it's too late._

" _I knew you'd be back."_

 _I jump, spinning around to find none other than the Wizard a few feet from me. Shit. Of course I'm not that lucky. What was I expecting?_

" _Well you're the omniscient one." I quip, pulling myself together quickly._

" _I may not be omniscient but I know you."_

" _You don't know the first thing about me!" I snap._

 _There's silence for a moment, then I sigh. "Look I've tried not to harm anyone but I'm starting to get angry, and I can't be held responsible for what I might do if you don't tell people the truth."_

" _I knew you wouldn't hurt anyone, you love Oz too much. I love it too. That's one thing we have in common." He smiles at me, gesturing between the two of us and coming closer._

" _You've been so strong through all this, Elphaba, aren't you tired of being the strong one? Wouldn't you like someone to take care of you? Can't we start again?"_

 _I stare at him for a few seconds, trying to figure out if he is being sarcastic or not. He must be kidding! The shock gives way to my anger again._

" _How? Turn back the clock?_ How _do I go back to that time when I believed in you? Some magic father who came down from the sky and made everything all better._ No one _believed in you more than I did!" I yell at him, getting close enough to poke him in the chest. I can't stop my voice from betraying the hurt I feel._

 _The Wizard, I'll admit, is excellent at distracting someone. He starts into a monologue about honesty and being roped into being the "_ wonderful _Wizard of Oz", getting caught up in the glamour of it all. I scoff. Everything coming out of his mouth is completely ridiculous and I stop listening half way through. I jump to attention, though, when he says that_ I, the Wicked Witch, _could be just like him and earn the love of the people of Oz._

" _Excuse me? What did you say?"_

" _At long, long last receive your due long overdue. Elphaba, the most celebrated are the rehabilitated!" He grabs my hand and pulls me with him to the other side of the room, spinning me. I pull away quickly when we stop, crossing my arms and shaking my head._

" _There'll be such a whoop-ti-do...a celebration throughout Oz that's all to do with you!" He says, putting a hand on each of my arms. I can't help but smile at his declaration; almost immediately I am reminded of the vision I had back at Shiz University._ A celebration all to do with me...

" _It does sound wonderful!" I admit, smiling._

" _Trust me it's fun!" He runs around the room, pulling levers that turn on multiple colored lights before coming back to me._

" _One…" The Wizard offers me his hands, and I take them._

" _Two…" He pulls me into a waltz pose._

" _Three!" He yells, waltzing with me around the room. I can't help but laugh and soon the room is spinning, spinning, spinning..._

" _Wait, wait!" I yell, stopping us and pulling away from the Wizard, trying for a moment to make the dizziness go away._

 _When it stops, I look at the Wizard. "I'll accept your proposition-"_

" _Wonderful!"_

 _I hold up a finger, "On one condition. You set those monkey's free."_

 _He hesitates for a moment before smiling. "Done!" He pulls another lever, and a hidden cage opens. The monkeys fill the room quickly and I laugh in delight._

" _You're free! Fly! Fly!" I yell, pointing them toward the exit. I look around the room and see a creature under a blanket._

" _You, under the blanket, get up now-" I reach for the blanket._

" _Uh no, wait!" The Wizard tries to come forward to stop me, but it's too late. I pull the blanket away and gasp._ No!

" _No it can't be... Dr. Dillamond!"_

" _We couldn't continue to let him speak out…" The Wizard speaks hesitantly._

 _I stare at my once proud professor, now cowering on the floor on all four paws, wearing no clothes or glasses. He looks like a regular goat._

" _Dillamond, are you alright? Don't be afraid. It's me, Elphaba. Don't you remember?" I ask quietly, praying he understands. Then suddenly-_

"Baaa!"

 _I flinch. Oh, no._ Please _, no. "Can't you speak?" I plead desperately._

"Baaa!"

 _I feel the unbearable sting of tears as my heart breaks. I see the Wizard move out of the corner of my eye, and my gaze turns to him. Suddenly all I feel is blinding, crippling anger. He did this. The_ Wonderful _Wizard of Oz. I can't_ believe _I almost let him fool me; rope me into his scheme! I hate him. God, I_ hate him!

" _You and I have nothing in common." I declare, voice shaking with grief and anger._

" _I am nothing like you, and I never will be, and I will fight you till the day I_ die _!"_

 _"Guards!_ GUARDS!"

* * *

I wake up screaming, grabbing at the air before I realize where I am. I look around, finding myself on the couch in my living room. The small part of the blanket that isn't on the floor is wrapped tightly around my legs, as if I was fighting in my sleep. Chest heaving, I try to take a few deep breaths to calm myself.

"Ugh," I bury my head in my hands for a moment.

"M-Miss Minerva?"

I straighten up quicker than normal; turning sharply in the direction the voice came.

I must look frightening, because Pipsy backs up quickly. I force myself to soften my expression, though my shoulders are still tense.

"P-Pipsy? What…?" I look over at the clock. "Pipsy, it's three in the morning! What in the world are you doing up?"

"P-Pipsy… Pipsy w-was…" The poor elf stutters over her words.

"It's alright, Pipsy. I'm not angry, if that's what you're worried about."

She almost immediately relaxes, looking gratefully at me.

"Pipsy is very sorry for scaring you, Miss Minerva. After Pipsy saw you yesterday, Pipsy was concerned about you. Pipsy was keeping an eye on you, and Pipsy heard you screaming… Pipsy thought that maybe something was wrong…" She says quietly, coming closer.

I stare at her for a few moments. I wasn't aware that she could tell that much from those few minutes she spent with me. Enough to be looking out for me? No one's ever done that. How did she even hear me? I feel awful for waking the poor thing up and scaring her, but another part of me is moved.

"Well… Thank you, Pipsy. The fact that you came to make sure I was alright is… surprising, but nice of you. I am very sorry for waking you at such a terrible hour."

"No, no Miss Minerva, please don't apologize! It is alright, Pipsy was just glad to find you unharmed. The screaming scared Pipsy, she thought you were in trouble."

"I'm sorry for scaring you, Pipsy." I tell her honestly, thoroughly embarrassed.

"It is alright, Pipsy is sure." She comes closer, stopping right in front of me, but she doesn't touch me. "Are you alright, Miss Minerva?"

The earnest look in the elf's eyes surprises me. What is going on? "Yes, of course dear. It was nothing, just a nightmare."

The elf looks at me in the eyes for a moment or two, and I can't help but stare back. I almost wonder if she can sense how my heart's still beating erratically in my chest. I start to ask if _she_ is okay when she finally speaks.

"Alright, Miss Minerva. Whatever you were afraid of, it can't hurt you anymore, Pipsy promises. She won't let it."

I stare at her for a moment, my mouth opening then closing again. I swear it's like this creature can see right through me. In any other situation it would completely unnerve me, but now I find myself nearly on the verge of tears because of this wonderful elf's kindness.

Pipsy's eyes move from mine to stare at the ground. I reach out and take her hand, and Pipsy looks down at our hands before looking back up at me, her expression changing from earnest to shocked.

"M-Miss Minerva?"

"Thank you, Pipsy." I say it as earnestly as I can. Obviously I succeeded, because Pipsy smiles at me.

"You are welcome, Miss Minerva."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! **PLEASE REVIEW!** Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed already, I love you all!

Until next time...

~Neve


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hey guys! Please forgive me for the shameful amount of time this took. I've been working on it this whole time, I promise, but I've been so busy and haven't had much time for writing. Thank you to everyone who stuck around, and hopefully I don't disappoint!

Please review!

Enjoy!

* * *

Poppy Pomfrey considered herself to be a capable witch and dedicated healer. Merlin knows she's been doing it long enough. Part of being a medi-witch-particularly at a place like Hogwarts-meant being easily approachable. She couldn't expect frightened first years, stubborn teenagers and highly independent professors to be comfortable coming to her otherwise.

Poppy didn't figure she had problems with any of this, until the other day when a particularly timid house elf came to her with a problem regarding "Miss Minerva."

From the first day she arrived, Poppy could tell Minerva didn't accept help easily nor came looking for it often. She did think, however, that the woman would at least come to her with a problem that seemed to have gotten as bad as the elf said it was.

Evidently not. Apparently, McGonagall is as stubborn as they come.

Poppy called her into her office the day after seeing the elf. Though it didn't happen often, house elves have come to her with concerns for their masters. She knew that Minerva was not Pipsy's mistress, but the elf seemed determined nonetheless. Poppy hadn't even realized they'd been spending time together.

The moment the woman knocked on her door and poked her head in, Poppy understood Pipsy's concern. Her striking and somewhat unsettling green eyes looked exhausted. She was decent at concealing it, but Poppy could see the dark circles under the makeup. It was obvious to her the poor thing hadn't slept in ages.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall."

"Good morning. You wished to see me?"

"Yes, thank you for coming." Poppy waved her in and Minerva sat in the chair across from her.

"I wanted to see how things were going, are the glasses I gave you working?"

Minerva nods. "Yes, perfectly. I still don't understand how I came to need them; I never needed them growing up."

"Ah, well, that happens sometimes. Things like that can sneak up on you."

Poppy observed the professor for a few moments. On the surface she seemed fine enough, most people probably couldn't even tell something was wrong. Poppy wouldn't be surprised if even Albus, as observant as he is, couldn't see it.

"You look tired, Minerva."

The woman looked back up at her, "What?"

"Are you getting enough rest? You don't look like you've been sleeping well."

"Yes, of course I am." it would have sounded convincing to anyone else, but Poppy smirked and rolled her eyes.

"Now, Professor. I'm a medi-witch. You can fool many in this school, but I've had a lot of practice telling when someone is lying to me."

She sighed, rolling her eyes too. "Fine. No, I haven't been sleeping well at all. Happy now?"

Poppy smirked again. "No, but I'm glad you stopped lying."

She could see a hint of a smile on Minerva's lips, and she got up quickly. "Follow me."

Minerva looked confused, but she got up to follow nonetheless. Poppy walked them into the infirmary and to a cupboard in the back of the room. She pulled it open and starting looking through the many different containers and vials of things. Minerva watched curiously until Poppy finally turned around with a vial of purple liquid in her hand.

"This is a potion for Dreamless Sleep. The drinker becomes drowsy at once and it helps them get a peaceful sleep, meaning no more nightmares."

Minerva looks from the vial to Poppy. "Nightmares? Who told you that?"

The medi-witch paused, but Minerva quickly sighed. "Pipsy."

She nods. "Yes, but she was only concerned about you. And she had a right to be, you look awful."

"Thanks." Minerva said sarcastically, but she didn't look offended, so Poppy shrugged.

"Please don't be upset with her. She's only looking out for you. Besides, I would've noticed it eventually, but luckily I was told before it got too out of hand."

McGonagall sighed. Normally she would be very upset over something like this, but she couldn't bring herself to be upset with Pipsy. After all, she _was_ just looking out for her, and Minerva knew she ought to be grateful.

"I suppose you're right."

"You'll find that happens often. And you listen to me, if you _ever_ let a problem get this bad again without telling me I will drag you to the infirmary myself and make you stay here for a month whether it's necessary or not. I don't care how stubborn you are. Is that clear?"

Although Minerva was pretty sure the woman was joking, there was a 'no nonsense' look on her face that made her pause.

"I understand. I'm sorry." She thinks for a moment. "Is that all, then?"

"That's all, Professor."

"Minerva, please." she was getting used to more of the staff using her name. Poppy nods, and just when Minerva is about to leave she turns back to the healer.

"Is it really that noticeable?"

"To most people, no. I've been well trained and have years of practice spotting these things, so you had no chance of hiding it from me. If Albus hasn't noticed, that's something. But Minerva, if you don't start taking care of yourself you're going to have a problem."

She nods, "I understand."

"Good. Take the potion before bed, and if you need more let me know. But be cautious, Minerva. It can be a highly addictive potion."

With one more nod, Minerva leaves the infirmary with the potion in hand.

* * *

The potion Poppy gave me is fantastic and works wonders. Several days have passed without a single nightmare; only blissful, dreamless sleep just as she promised. I feel better than I have in weeks. Poppy gives me knowing smiles when I see her at breakfast, and thankfully Albus never seemed to catch on.

Even so, I remember Poppy's warning that the potion can be addictive if one isn't careful, so I can't let myself rely on it every day. I'll have to come up with a better solution very soon, although I honestly have no idea what that could be. Poppy would have told me if she had any ideas, and I'm certainly not going to ask Albus. I' d rather keep him in the dark about the nightmares for as long as possible. Perhaps some research in the library is in order. If I'm going to come up with anything, it'll probably be there.

The week before the start of Christmas break, a knock on my door startles me. Seeing what time it is I assume Albus is a bit early for our weekly chess game. I quickly close the Grimmerie and banish it back to it's secret hidden space in my room. I didn't find anything helpful in the library, and resorted to breaking out my old spell book, but it doesn't look like even that can help me get rid of these dreams. I quickly open the door for Albus. I'm surprised, however, to see Madame Pomfrey standing there instead.

"Poppy?"

The witch smiles at the confusion I know she sees in my face, "Hello, Minerva. May I come in?"

"Yes, of course." I respond quickly, stepping aside to allow her entry.

"Thank you." Poppy comes in and sits on the couch with me following behind her.

"Would you like some tea?"

"Oh, no. This will only take a moment." Poppy pauses, then says, "I trust the potion has been working well? You certainly look better, and I haven't had any visits from a certain overprotective house elf recently."

I smile at her description of Pipsy. "Yes, very well indeed. But I know I can't take it forever. I've…" I clear my throat. "I've been trying to find a more permanent solution, though at the moment it is unsuccessful."

Poppy nods, "I figured you'd be looking, and I think I have one. I hesitated to bring it up before, because I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it. Did anyone in your family ever use a pensieve?"

I sigh inwardly. More terms I don't know. "No, not that I recall. If so, I was never told about it."

"I had a feeling you would say that. A pensieve is an object used to store and review memories. Witches and wizards often use a pensieve to collect memories they wish to remember later, or sometimes just to get the memory out of their minds. I think that it could be the answer to your problem."

I stare at her in confusion, "So you want me to put the memories of my nightmares into this pensieve?"

"Partly. The nightmares themselves _and_ whatever memories might be causing them. I think we can both agree the nightmares aren't random."

She's certainly correct, but I still tense when she says it, and Poppy smiles kindly at me. "Don't worry Minerva, I'm not asking. But I know whatever happened in the past is most likely the reason behind these nightmares, and this would definitely help you. The memories wouldn't be gone. You'll know about them, they just wouldn't be able to affect you as much."

I think for a moment. She certainly has a point, and from what she described putting my memories in this pensieve would probably stop the nightmares from coming so often. But storing my memories of the things that happened in Oz? The possibility of anyone finding them is terrifying.

"I don't know, Poppy. I see your point on the benefits, but having all those memories in one place? Someone could easily discover them, and I can't risk that."

It's more than I wanted to say, but I need to make sure Poppy understands.

She nods, "I figured you'd be wary of it, which is why I didn't bring it up before. But Minerva, there are many ways to safeguard one's pensieve away from prying eyes. With that being said, I believe it's better than making you suffer. "

Minerva doesn't respond, so Poppy continues. "Just think about it, okay? As far as a long-term solution, this is it. You need your sleep, Minerva. If you keep on like you have been you're either going to make yourself ill or become addicted to Dreamless Sleep. I don't favor either of those options, nor would Albus or Pipsy."

As if on cue, there is another knock on my door, and Albus steps into the room. He's smiling until he sees Poppy, and then his expression changes to one of confusion and concern.

"Why, hello, Poppy."

"Hello, Albus."

"Is everything alright? Minerva, are you ill?"

I shake my head, but Poppy speaks for me. "Not at all, Albus. I just fancied paying Minerva a visit to see how she was adjusting to everything here. After all, these things take time. But I think she's going to be just fine."

Poppy smiles and gets up from her seat, "I was just leaving."

"Oh please, don't leave on my account." Albus says quickly.

"Don't be silly, I've got work to do anyway. Good evening, Albus." She smiles as she walks past him, and looks over at me. "Minerva."

"Good night, Poppy." She had this look in her eye that left little room for argument, and I can almost hear her demanding me to think about what we just discussed.

When the door closed behind her, Albus smiled at me as he went to go set up the chessboard.

"It seems you've made a friend, Minerva. First Madame Hooch and now Poppy. I'll warn you though, when Poppy decides she likes you, she'll become invested in your well being. Seems to me that's already begun."

Albus smiled again, his blue eyes twinkling like mad. I smirked, because he had no idea how right he was.

* * *

A few days later, I'm still struggling with the idea of a pensive. Getting rid of these nightmares is beyond tempting, but the very possibility of anyone here finding out about Oz or my life as Elphaba Thropp is much worse.

Even so, I'm even more aware of the fact that I can't simply continue living with these nightmares. Not only is it highly unpleasant, but also no matter how hard I try I know that it will eventually become noticeable to more than just Poppy Pomphrey.

I yawn suddenly, a sign that my body agrees with my thoughts. I was concerned with how much of the Dreamless Sleep potion I've been using, so I took a break these past few days. Of course the moment I did, the nightmares began again. I sigh, and raise my wand higher.

" _Lumos."_ I whisper, allowing light to burst from the tip of my wand, illuminating my way as I get to a particularly dark section of the castle.

All professors take turns patrolling the halls. I suppose it's to make sure there are no students milling about, but at three-thirty in the morning I would assume that anyone who _was_ out of bed after curfew would certainly be in bed now. Usually I wouldn't mind patrol duty, but I'm just so tired it was the last thing I wanted to be doing tonight. Thankfully the students will be leaving for Christmas Holiday the day after tomorrow, so I'll have plenty of time to rest then.

A noise ahead of me pulls me out of my thoughts, and I stop in my tracks in the corridor. I listen closely, but I don't hear or see anything at first.

A few moments later, a small thud reaches my ears, as though something just hit a wall. Oh _please_ let it just be a rat. I'm too tired to have to give out detentions this early in the morning!

I walk further down the hallway, but I only walk about ten more steps before I hear something that sounds a lot like hissing. A rat may have made sense, but a snake?

I walk further, this time hearing a voice.

"Dammit! _Where is it?!"_

The voice is hushed and frustrated, but it also sounds desperate.

" _Nox."_ I whisper. The voice is closer now, and I decide to conceal my presence as long as possible.

The light on the tip of my wand goes out immediately, and I squint, trying to help my eyes adjust to the sudden darkness.

Not even a minute later I see movement ahead of me, a boy in a small alcove in the wall, knocking on stones and making many wand movements that don't seem to be having any effect. I watch him as his movements become more hurried and erratic, his banging on the wall more insistent.

I raise an eyebrow, almost amused by it, until I hear the hissing again. This time, it's very obvious that the sound is coming from this _boy,_ not a snake.

I quickly light the tip of my wand again, making my presence known.

" _Mr. Riddle!"_ My voice comes out higher than normal, but the sternness in it is clear.

Tom Riddle turns quickly, his back pressed against the wall. He doesn't look nearly as put together as he usually does. The look on his face is intense and it's obvious that I startled him.

"P-Professor McGonagall! What... What are you doing here?"

"I think the more pertinent question is what are _you_ doing out of bed, Mr. Riddle? It is _well_ pastcurfew and no students should be wandering the castle at this time of night!"

The boy shakes his head, "No, you don't get it!" He doesn't yell, but he's obviously frustrated and angry that I interrupted him. "It's almost Christmas holiday, I need-"

"There is nothing you _need_ at three-thirty in the morning, Mr. Riddle, except to be in bed asleep like everyone else in the castle." I tell him firmly, pointing my wand so that the light shows more of him.

To my surprise, I see his hand close to where his wand is stored, his fingers twitching toward it. Certainly he doesn't intend to try using it on me?

I take a step closer to him, and I see him puff out his chest defiantly. He isn't panicked anymore, but the look in his eye is still a bit crazed.

"Not everyone, Professor. You're still awake."

It takes quite a bit of self-control not to let my mouth drop open in shock at his arrogance. I can't believe no other professors have noticed anything odd about his behavior.

" _I_ am a professor, and have the ability to be up whenever I wish to be. You, however, are a student and are required to abide by the curfew we set for you. A curfew, I might add, that passed many hours ago."

Riddle openly glares, but he doesn't say anything.

"Now, I expect to see you tomorrow after classes to serve your detention, and 30 points from Slytherin."

"Detention?! But that's the day before break!"

"I don't particularly care what day it is. Breaking curfew has its consequences, not to mention your cheek and utter lack of respect for a professor."

He opens his mouth to argue, but I cut him off quickly. "Careful, Mr. Riddle, or you'll be serving a month's worth of detentions with me the moment you return from holiday."

He clenches his fists, and he's still glaring at me, but he chooses not to dig his hole deeper. Instead he nods.

"Yes, Professor McGonagall."

"Good. I'll expect you in my classroom tomorrow night then. Good night, Mr. Riddle. Try not to get lost going back to the dormitory."

He storms off quickly, and I watch him, making sure he goes in the direction of the Slytherin common room.

When he's gone, I let my rigid posture relax, sighing deeply. If I wasn't tired before, I certainly am now.

* * *

The next day after classes, I'm still sitting in my classroom. I've got some papers to grade before Mr. Riddle comes to serve his detention. I'm not looking forward to it at all, but I couldn't very well allow him to walk away without consequences.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!"

I look up, startled by the sudden outburst. Silvanus Kettleburn is storming full force toward my desk.

Oh, hello, Kettleburn." The words come out nonchalantly, as if I was somehow expecting this.

"You can't do this! I'll report you!"

I raise an eyebrow. "And what have I done that you find so offensive?"

"You took house points from Tom Riddle!"

I stare at him, a smirk making its way across my face. "You cannot be serious." I can't hide the amusement in my tone.

His facial expression doesn't change, and he's still glaring at me fiercely.

"Kettleburn, think rationally. You cannot think that reporting me for taking house points from a student will go over very well."

"It will when you had no reason to do it!"

"Oh, really? What makes you say that?"

"Mr. Riddle told me what actually happened, McGonagall."

"Oh? And what did he say?"

"That he was on his way to the dormitory _two minutes_ after curfew, and you lectured him, took thirty house points and gave him detention."

I can't help it, the moment the words are out of his mouth, I burst out laughing. Forgetting the fact that it's a blatant lie, it just sounds utterly ridiculous!

I look back up at Kettleburn, who does not look amused.

"I'm sorry Kettleburn. Let's pretend for a second that this is a serious conversation. Do you honestly believe that I would give such harsh consequences to a student when they are only two minutes past curfew?"

"I have no idea what you would do. Maybe you're just prejudiced against Slytherin!"

"Absolutely not! My personal feelings play no role in my decisions and I resent the insinuation. As a professor I am perfectly within my right to take house points when the situation deems necessary."

"You did it for nothing!" He screams, now resorting to banging his fist on my desk.

I glare at him now. I slowly get up from my chair and speak quietly, my voice much lower than just a moment ago.

"Listen very carefully, Kettleburn. I found Mr. Riddle out of bed at 3:30 AM, _well_ past curfew. He was attempting spells and banging on stonewalls. Not to mention his attitude and complete lack of respect for me as his Professor. _That_ is why I gave him those consequences, even though I don't have to explain anything to you. We both know perfectly well that if this had happened with anyone else in this castle they would have given a student the same, if not harsher punishments, for such an infraction. And we also know that you most certainly wouldn't come storming into _their_ office screaming at the top of your lungs and banging on desks like a child having a tantrum. Slytherin isn't even your house, so I fail to see why you seem to be taking this so personally."

He chooses not to comment on the last two statements. "Why on earth would Mr. Riddle lie?"

I scoff. "Why wouldn't he? Honestly, have you ever known a student who gets in trouble that doesn't try to cover it up? Especially by blaming the teacher. Of course Mr. Riddle wouldn't admit he did anything wrong.''

"He did not do anything! You're just vindictive and basing this simply on your immediate dislike for a student."

It takes every ounce of self-control I have not to roll my eyes at this comment. Oh, the irony.

"For Merlin's sake Kettleburn! I'm fairly certain you just described yourself. With that aside, I already went over that particular issue with you. I am an adult, not a child that you can just come and reprimand whenever you feel like it."

Silvanus doesn't say anything, so I continue. "Now, Mr. Riddle _will_ be serving detention with me, and I will not be giving back those house points. I'm sure you'll manage. If you'll excuse me."

I sit down again, glaring at him one last time. He's still glaring at me even after I've gone back to my work. I'm starting to wonder if he's planning on staying here until Riddle comes.

"If you're just going to stand there, please do it elsewhere." I say without looking up at him.

Kettleburn huffs. "You're making a mistake, McGonagall."

"I doubt that." I respond. "Besides, there's not much you can do about it. Feel free to try."

Kettleburn finally seems to realize that he's not going to get anywhere with me, because a few seconds later he's storming out of my classroom, much to my relief.

* * *

A/N: Please review! Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for the reviews so far. I love you all.

Until next time...

~Neve


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hey guys! I'm so sorry this took so ridiculously long, but thanks for sticking with me! This is a longer one, so I hope you enjoy!

Please review!

* * *

Silvanus Kettleburn spent more time than he liked to admit thinking about the newest addition to Hogwarts. Even at this moment, he was pacing his rooms trying to figure out the woman who goes by the name Minerva McGonagall. He had always been a difficult man to please, Kettleburn himself would admit that. However, there was something about this woman that he'd immediately disliked the moment she walked into the room at the first staff meeting. He didn't trust her at all. McGonagall had this air about her that Kettleburn couldn't place, and anyone he couldn't read he was immediately suspicious of.

 _Something must be done about her that much is certain_ Silvanus thought for what had to be the millionth time.

No one will listen to him though, even the Headmaster and his deputy. Silvanus was positive this girl was a spy; her name didn't even exist in the Ministry! How could she not be? But miraculously, her records showed up. His proof had been airtight, he was _sure_ of it. Yet still, McGonagall got away scot free. It infuriated him.

It was even more frustrating that she was so suspicious and hyper aware of her surroundings. It made finding anything out that much more difficult, but Silvanus was determined. He didn't care that Albus Dumbledore had adopted her as his new favorite, the fool. He would expose her for what she really was, and he would take great pleasure in it. He knew in his bones that she had a secret, and whatever it is was the key to doing so. He simply had to figure out how to do it. In the many fights they had, he could see the mood she tried to play off: Confident, powerful, and indifferent. Silvanus could see the fear behind that, though. Even if no one else could, he knew she was afraid. Afraid of what, he wasn't sure. But he was going to find out.

* * *

As much as I've come to love this job, I couldn't have been happier to see the students leave for holiday break. The last two days without anything pressing to do have been wonderful. I've tried not to think about my fight with Silvanus, but I find the whole thing so utterly bizarre it's difficult not to. If Kettleburn were the Slytherin head of house, I may be able to understand his outburst, but he's a Hufflepuff! Why in the hell would he be so offended? I can tell he's reaching some kind of breaking point, and I'm going to need my guard up in the future.

Of course, almost as soon as Kettleburn left, Riddle showed up for detention. Thankfully, nothing of major consequence happened during his time in my classroom. I gave him his task and he did it. I tried to ignore the fact that he was glaring at me the entire time, but it became difficult when his face changed into one of pure hatred. I swear the boy wanted to kill me right then and there, and I finally looked up at him and warned him to stay on task or he'd have plenty more detentions during which he could glare at me in the future. That finally made him stop, thank Merlin, because he was starting to make me uneasy. I don't understand why he was so angry. Sure, there were probably many other things a sixteen-year-old boy would rather have been doing, but for heaven's sake, it was only a detention. It was hardly a life or death situation.

I open my door only to find Albus Dumbledore standing there, his hand raised as if he was about to knock on my door.

"Albus?"

"Ah, hello Minerva. I was on my way to the Great Hall and thought I would ask if I could escort you."

I laugh, "Albus, you're crazy. But yes, I would like that very much." He nods his head, spreading his hand out in an indication for me to take the lead.

We walk in silence for a few minutes before Albus decides to speak. "Are you enjoying the holiday without the students, Minerva?"

"Oh, it's wonderful. As much as I like the students being here, it's nice not having any responsibilities for a while."

"I know what you mean."

I raise an eyebrow at him, "You're the Deputy Headmaster. Don't you have responsibilities no matter what?"

"Well, yes. But I have to admit that my job is easier and quicker when there are no students in the castle."

I laugh again before falling silent.

"How were your last few days before break? Easy, I hope." Albus asks.

"I wish. I had to give out a detention two days before break, I had the student sitting in my classroom for two hours the night before they left."

"Really? Who was the student?"

"Tom Riddle. I found him out of bed at three thirty in the morning."

Albus stops walking, and I walk at least three more feet before I realize it. I look back at him, confused. Now his face looks suspicious and alarmed. Oh hell, he's not going to tell me I was wrong, too, is he?

"Minerva, you should have told me."

"Why? Should I not have given him consequences for being out of bed after curfew?"

"No, not at all. You did what you should have, but if Tom is involved…"

I pause, realization dawning on me. He's not alarmed because I gave a student detention, just because the student was Tom Riddle.

"Albus, relax. I can handle Mr. Riddle."

He doesn't comment on what I said, instead asking, "What happened?"

"Nothing really. He was looking for something, I don't know what it was, and I never found out. He was speaking Parseltongue again, though. When I found him he was not happy about it, nor was he happy about getting a detention. His reaction made me think I interrupted something and the detention didn't give him the opportunity to finish before he left. He didn't care at all about the thirty house points I took."

"That's all?"

I shrug, "Well he was highly disrespectful, but yes, that's about it. There was a moment when I thought I saw him reaching for his wand, but I ended that quickly. As I said, I can handle Mr. Riddle."

Albus sighs, "I know. I just wish I'd known. I would have been present at the detention."

"There was no need. Nothing happened except Riddle glaring at me the whole time. Besides, I don't think you would have wanted to be witness to Kettleburn's outburst."

"What? What did Silvanus do?" Albus asks, the concern back in his voice instantly.

 _Shit._ I told myself I wasn't going to tell him about that part. "I shouldn't have told you that. It's really not something you need to worry about. I took care of it."

"Minerva." The way he says my name tells me he's not going to let it go.

"Oh, fine." I roll my eyes, walking back toward Albus.

"Before Riddle came for detention Silvanus came in, ranting and raving about how he would report me and I was being unfair to Riddle by giving him a detention."

"Why?" Albus looks confused.

"Yes, I was confused too. Riddle told him that he was only two minutes past curfew, and I had punished him unfairly. And of course, Silvanus completely fell for it either because he favors Tom or hates me. Whatever his motives, he was very angry and accused me of being prejudiced against Slytherins and other things that were more of an annoyance than anything else."

I can tell Albus wants to say something, but I cut him off. "Albus, it's not a big deal, I promise. As I said, I took care of it. Silvanus is obviously up to something, but you've got enough to do. Just as I can handle Mr. Riddle, I can also handle Kettleburn. It wouldn't be the first time someone has hated me enough to try something stupid."

Albus pauses, looking back at me. "Minerva…"

I hold up a hand, stopping him. I shouldn't have made that last statement, but what the hell. It's out now and I can't take it back.

"Stop, Albus. Relax. I'm fine, there's nothing Silvanus can do that I won't see coming. And Tom Riddle is just a boy. He may think he's dangerous and glaring at me will intimidate me and make me afraid of him, but he is sadly, laughably mistaken. I appreciate you trying to help me, but you're Deputy Headmaster. You've got enough to do without playing referee between two employees and a student."

"Minerva, you're also my friend."

While I knew this without it having to be said, the fact that he openly said it catches me a bit off guard, and I pause.

"I know. And I appreciate that, but my point still stands."

Albus just stares at me, and I can tell he wants to spend more time arguing this, but I don't let him.

"Now, Albus Dumbledore, Deputy Headmaster and friend, can we _please_ put an end to this and get to the Great Hall before lunch is over? I'm starving."

Finally, there's a hint of a smile on his lips, and the twinkle starts to return to his eyes.

"Yes, Professor McGonagall, let's."

I smile back at him, walking with him down the halls toward the Great Hall for lunch.

* * *

Silvanus Kettleburn walked silently through the halls of Hogwarts. When he reached his destination, he walked to the portrait, looking down both directions as if he were afraid to be seen there.

"Nessarose." He spoke the password quietly. The portrait opened for him, and Kettleburn stepped into Professor McGonagall's chambers.

It was quiet in the room, something Kettleburn hadn't been expecting. After a quick inspection, Silvanus discovered McGonagall was not there.

 _Odd,_ he thought to himself. He decided against leaving, though. Although his original purpose for coming would have to wait, he now had a new one. What better way to find out more about McGonagall then when she wasn't there to stop him?

Upon first look, he found nothing of interest. His eye was eventually drawn to a bookshelf, where one book seemed very out of place. It wasn't even on the shelf correctly. As if McGonagall had hastily tried to conceal it, but failed.

The thought intrigued Kettleburn. He looked back at the door, half expecting McGonagall to show up. When she didn't he reached for the book.

It was massive, bigger than most of the books in the Hogwarts library. The book had no title on the front, making it impossible to tell right off what it was. It was covered with dark brown, ancient-looking leather, embellished with golden hasps and pins and tooled with silver leaf. It was by far the most elaborate book Silvanus had ever seen in his life.

When Silvanus opened the book, he stopped dead in his tracks. The book was almost vibrating with powerful magic. It was practically visible. The pages were purple and written in silver ink. When he looked at the text, he was shocked to find he couldn't read it. _Literally_ couldn't read it.

 _What the hell?_ The book was written in a language he didn't know. He didn't even recognize it. Silvanus was immediately convinced it was a language that didn't exist, at least not in the Wizarding world. He would be surprised to find it in the Muggle world as well.

 _McGonagall can read this?_

Kettleburn doubted it very much. But logically, why would she have it if she couldn't read it?

He didn't like it. There was something about the book that made him uneasy. He'd never before seen a book that had such magical properties that he could feel the effect on his skin. _This must be dark magic,_ Kettleburn decided, basing this conclusion only on the strength of the magic. Why on Earth did McGonagall own such a book? He knew it must have been hers, because he'd never seen it at Hogwarts before. He remembered the rumor that went around when McGonagall suddenly appeared in Diagon Alley. _She was carrying a book and a pair of shoes…_

Kettleburn realized that if this book was the one from the rumor, McGonagall was an even bigger danger to them than he once thought.

Very suddenly, the book flew from Silvanus's hands. Before he even had the time to be shocked, a voice made him nearly jump out of his skin.

" _What in the hell do you think you're doing?!"_

He turned to find Minerva McGonagall looking at him incredulously.

"Oh, hello. I… well… you see…" Her eyes were narrowed into slits, and Silvanus couldn't help but stutter.

She raised her eyebrow at him.

"I… I wasn't expecting…"

"You weren't _expecting_ me? Forgive me, but I'm fairly certain we are in _my_ quarters. Indeed, _I_ wasn't expecting to find you snooping around my room!"

Despite himself, Silvanus looked offended. "I wasn't snooping! I-"

"No? Well,I certainly wasn't here, and you were looking through my things, so what precisely were you doing?" Her voice was shaking with rage.

"I was coming to discuss something with you, but you weren't here so…" Silvanus pauses for a moment, his eyes returning to the large book under McGonagall's arm. He'd been planning on making an excuse and getting out of the room as quickly as possible, but then he looked back up at the witch in front of him. She was bloody pissed, that much was obvious, but he saw something else too. Fear. The same fear he saw in her eyes despite her facade she fools everyone else with. Something about him finding that book frightened her, and Silvanus smelled blood.

"What is that book?" He said it less like a question and more like a demand.

"Excuse me?" At first, Minerva looked surprised.

"What is that book? I could feel dark magic the moment I opened the book, McGonagall!" His tone turned accusatory.

" _Dark_ magic?" The shock melted to her anger once again. "You imbecile!"

"What?" He hadn't been expecting that.

"You have the audacity to demand things after I've caught you barging into my rooms and snooping through my personal belongings-"

"I most certainly did not _barge_ in!" Silvanus protested immediately.

"Really?" Her eyes narrowed again. "Well I most certainly wasn't here, and I absolutely did _not_ invite you, and seeing as we're currently in this situation that means you didn't leave when you saw it was empty. Not to mention the fact that you looked like a child caught breaking the rules when you saw me, so tell me, Kettleburn, what would _you_ call it?"

He took a step forward almost threateningly, pointing at her. "Now look here, McGonagall, I've tolerated you long enough! I will not allow you to disrespect me like this, you have no right-"

"You have no right!" Minerva thundered, effectively drowning out whatever else Silvanus was about to say.

He took a step back, eyes widening a bit as he looked at Minerva in front of him. Her magic was coming off of her in waves. It was almost palpable. He could feel the vibration of magic in the air and crackling around them. He could swear that he just saw some of the objects closest to her move, just as a few of the glass objects around the room shattered.

 _Shit._

"I am going to give you exactly _five seconds_ to get the hell _out of my sight_ before I make you regret coming into this room." She didn't yell exactly, but her voice had a power in it Silvanus had never heard before.

Despite the fear Silvanus suddenly felt, the anger and defiance was back full force at her words.

"Is that a threat, McGonagall?" He tried to make his voice sound threatening, but it paled in comparison.

Minerva's grip on the book under her arm tightened, and she quickly took a couple of steps toward him, and though she was still a few feet away, Kettleburn found himself backing away.

"No, Silvanus. That is a promise. Now _get. Out."_

Silvanus decided that it would probably be better at the moment to do as she said, and he moved around her, but he didn't quite move away. Instead, he leaned closer, learning toward the back of her head and spoke in a low voice.

"You know, McGonagall, I always knew there was something off about you. I saw it from day one. You act so tough and confident, but do you know what I saw the first time I looked at you? _Fear._ You're nothing more than a frightened little girl, Minerva. You try to deny it, but I see it. And yes, you're angry, but I saw the fear in your face the moment I turned around and saw you standing there. The fact that I found that book means something, and you are _terrified._ I want you to remember who made you feel that way."

Kettleburn's tone was smug, as was his smile, but nothing prepared him for what Minerva did next.

Before Silvanus could take a breath, Minerva spun around on her heels. It was so sudden it was a wonder to Kettleburn that she didn't lose her balance. Her eyes were blazing the most intense, frightening green he'd ever seen.

" _I said, get out of my room!"_ With no wand in hand, her magic picked him up off his feet and flung him across the room like a doll.

Silvanus flew through the door Minerva left open and hit the wall opposite her room hard, knocking the breath from his lungs as he hit the floor of the hallway.

Still on the floor trying to catch his breath, he managed to see McGonagall standing in the same spot staring at him with her eyes ablaze, just before the entrance to her quarters slammed shut.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was having a perfectly wonderful day. He'd just finished the work he had on his desk, meaning he had nothing to do for the rest of the day except relax. He sighed contently, rewarding himself with a delicious lemon drop.

His peace shattered when the door to his office was thrown open, startling him, along with the voice that accompanied it.

"ALBUS!"

It was enough to make him jump, the lemon drop he was about to enjoy falling to the floor, useless. Albus had only a moment to be sad about this, before he looked up to find Minerva McGonagall storming her way up to him.

A very, _very_ angry Minerva McGonagall.

"Minerva?" He asked, confused.

She made no notice of hearing him. "I've had it, Albus. This was the last straw; I swear to Merlin, it took everything inside of me not to hex that arrogant fool to pieces! I will not stand for this!"

She was pacing his office, not even looking at him as she spoke. She was speaking so quickly Albus had to concentrate to understand her. He could feel her magic radiating off of her.

"Stupid oaf, I want to…"

"Minerva!" Albus said, finally making his way over to her quickly enough to grab her by the shoulders before she could move away again.

"What?" Her voice was frustrated, but she finally looked at him.

She was furious, he could tell, but she was also scared. This was something Albus had never seen before, and it concerned him.

"What is wrong? What happened?"

Minerva took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "I… He…"

"Who?"

"Kettleburn."

Albus sighed. "Again?"

"No, I… Albus I wouldn't even be bothering you, but he just…" She paused, taking another breath.

"He broke into my rooms."

That got Albus's attention immediately. "What?"

"I was away, and when I returned, the portrait door was open, and he was in my rooms. He found…" She shakes her head. "He was snooping through my things. He takes pleasure in trying to make me miserable, Albus. Normally I wouldn't care, but I cannot, and I _will not_ allow him to get away with breaking into my rooms and rifling through my personal belongings just because he seems to think he can do whatever he bloody wants!"

"Okay, Minerva, please calm down. You're staring to make the books on my shelf shake. Do not worry, we will deal this."

"How? I don't understand how he got my bloody password, but if I catch him in my rooms again…"

Minerva did not finish the sentence, but the tone of her voice was enough to make Albus think that whatever she had planned, Kettleburn would likely lose a limb or two.

Albus turned away for a moment before turning back to Minerva.

"Albus?"

"I think I have a solution. The portrait outside your rooms isn't able to interact much, is it?"

"No?" She said, raising her eyebrows at him. "You're suggesting we switch my portrait, aren't you?"

"You disagree?"

"I'm just unsure how it will make a difference."

"Well, portraits have varying degrees of interaction depending on the power of the person who painted it. Some have very limited interaction and thus just open as soon as a password is given regardless of who gives it. However, some portraits are capable of much more interaction with the living world. Perhaps if one of these guarded your rooms instead..."

"It would be better protected?"

"Yes, I believe so. You could instruct the occupant who is allowed or not allowed entry into your room regardless of being given the password.

"So… Even if Kettleburn does know my password…"

"The portrait would refuse him entry unless you said otherwise."

Minerva slowly nodded. "Let's do it. Please. Can we do it today?"

Albus nodded, "I just need to find a portrait currently without a post. It should take a few hours at most."

Minerva sighed, obviously relieved. She turned to leave, but she hesitated and turned back to him.

"Albus, I should warn you…"

"About what?"

"Kettleburn will probably be coming to tell you that I threw him across the room."

Albus barely hid a chuckle at the thought, "What? Why?"

"Because I did."

Albus stared at her open mouthed. "You did what?"

"I know, I know. I don't know how it happened, I wasn't trying to, I just wanted him the hell out of my room and my magic just kind of… reacted."

"Your magic? You didn't have your wand?"

"No, not in my hand at least. He just wouldn't shut up and he wouldn't get out. I lost my temper. Next thing I know he's flying out of my room and across the hallway."

Albus stared at her. Her magic had to be extremely powerful to literally pick up a grown man off his feet and fling him across the room. That would take a tremendous amount of energy without a wand, and Minerva didn't look the slightest bit fatigued. She was breathing a bit heavier than usual, but Albus was sure that was due to her anger toward Kettleburn.

"Not to worry, Minerva. I'll take care of it."

Now it was Minerva's turn to look shocked. He wasn't going to reprimand her at all? She just admitted to essentially assaulting a fellow Professor! It may have been an accident, but it still happened.

"What?"

"If Kettleburn decides to bring up the incident, I will deal with it."

"Albus, no." This reminded her too much of when he lied about her records in the Ministry. She wasn't going to let him fix her problems for her again.

"Minerva." He looked at her. The twinkle in his eye had dimmed a bit, but he didn't look upset with her at all. He was studying her, and for the most part he just looked thoughtful.

"Kettleburn broke into your rooms. You asked him repeatedly to leave and he chose not to. You may have thrown him across the room, but it wasn't intentional and all you wanted to accomplish was to get him out of your room. You did not do so intending to cause him harm, correct?"

"Of course not! But-"

"I'll handle it, Minerva. That's all I need to know. Thank you for telling me beforehand. That will be helpful."

"Wha… I don't…" She sighed.

"Alright." Minerva was speechless, and she wanted to argue with him further, but his expression told her not too.

Minerva stared at him a moment longer before turning to leave, wondering once again what had just happened.

* * *

When Albus knocks on my door a few days after our meeting, I'm not surprised. Two days prior Albus showed up for our weekly chess game, and during the game suggested he and I take a trip to Diagon Alley today.

Albus acted completely normal during the visit and didn't say a word about Kettleburn. While I knew the odds of him not mentioning our altercation to Albus or Professor Dippet are slim, I chose not to bring it up. I've begun to feel like every interaction Albus and I have turns into a conversation about a problem with either Kettleburn or Tom Riddle. I refused to let this happen again, so I forced myself to forget everything else and enjoy the game.

At first when Albus suggested the trip, I was skeptical, but he insisted it would be fun, a way for us to de-stress. Perhaps he's right about it being fun, and it's been so long since I've left the castle.

Albus knocks again, finally prompting me to open the door for him. "Hello Albus."

"Hello Minerva. Are you ready?" I nod, and Albus leads the way through the halls and out of the castle.

We travel in silence for a while, but finally I look at him. "Albus, what made you suggest this?"

"I don't know, I thought it might be fun. Besides, you really should get out more."

I raise an eyebrow at him as we arrive at the Leaky Cauldron, but he only smiles at me.

Albus wastes no time in the pub, only nodding to a few people that he recognizes on his way to the back of the building and outside, where a brick wall blocks our path. I raise another eyebrow; this time out of confusion, but Albus only smiles again and pulls out his wand. He taps the bricks in a pattern and they move. Quickly the rest of the bricks shift out of the way, revealing what looks to be a small town. The buildings look slightly run down and in the distance I see a tall white building with columns that desperately look like it is in need of repair; each story is more lopsided than the last.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley, my dear."

We walk through the passageway and slowly down the cobblestone street. There are many people here for a Thursday, but everything looks a bit familiar.

"Have I been here before?"

"I was wondering if you would remember. This is where you appeared in front of me the day you arrived."

"Oh!" He's right, that's why this is familiar. I lost consciousness quickly upon arrival, but I do remember thinking how strange it was.

Albus pauses for a moment, looking at me. "So my dear, where would you like to visit first? Flourish and Blotts? Fortescue's? The Sweet Shop?"

I chuckle at his enthusiasm. "I have no idea. You've been here more than me, so I'll follow your lead." I tell him, noticing his blue eyes twinkling like mad as he takes my hand and leads me even further into the Alley.

* * *

Two hours later, I'm exhausted. Albus has dragged me into every single one of his favorite stores. I did get some new Transfiguration books from Flourish and Blotts, though, and Albus bought a ridiculous amount of sweets at the sweet shop he was talking about, so he was very excited. Now Albus and I are back at the Leaky Cauldron resting for a bit. When the server comes, Albus looks at me.

"Would you like a Butterbeer, Minerva?"

I stare at him. "A what?"

"You've never had one?" He looks shocked before coming to his senses and ordering two of them.

While we wait, I notice Albus studying me, which is making me a bit uneasy.

"Albus? What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh!" He smiles, but I still see a bit of worry in his eyes. "It's nothing, Minerva."

I raise an eyebrow at him, and he chuckles. "Really. I just notice you've seemed a bit tired recently. I do hope everything's alright?"

My eyes widen. Is he starting to notice just like Poppy? "W-what? I mean… I didn't sleep well last night, but everything's fine."

My answer is not the most convincing, but Albus seems to let it go. "Alright, my dear. I was just checking."

A few minutes later the server sets a mug of liquid in front of each of us. Albus drinks it immediately while I stare at mine.

"Albus… What is this?"

"Butterbeer."

The drink is a light brown color with foam on the top. It looks very odd, so I look back up at Albus.

"What's in it?"

"Butterscotch, sugar and water. Try it."

 _Well, it seems pleasant enough…_ I take a drink and find myself pleasantly surprised by the taste.

"Do you like it?"

"I do! It's very good." I smile.

"So, what else would you like to do, Minerva?"

"I'm not sure, Albus. Did you have something in mind?"

Albus thinks for a moment, "Maybe we should go look at pensieves."

"Pensieves? Why?"

"I want to look at some of the new ones. Poppy also said you might be interested in one."

My smile falters. Poppy wouldn't have told him about the nightmares, right?

"Did she? What else did she say?"

Albus looks confused. "Nothing. Should she have?"

"No." I shake my head. "Of course not. I am interested though. Let's go."

I finish my butterbeer and stand, waiting for Albus to do the same.

* * *

When we get to the correct shop, Albus immediately goes to find what he was looking for, leaving me alone. I'm still unsure about this whole pensieve business, but I'm not quite sure what else to do. The break has helped a little, but I'm still not getting the sleep I need, and these dreams are starting to mess with my mind. Albus is starting to notice too, which is exactly what I've been dreading. In the end I decide to get one. It's still a risk, but Poppy assured me there are ways to safeguard it.

I wait outside for a few minutes before Albus comes out.

"I have one more stop to make, Minerva. If you'd like you can wait here and I'll come meet you."

"Sounds good, Albus." I agree, smiling.

After Albus leaves, it doesn't take long for me to get bored, so I decide to explore. I look through multiple shop windows, but after a few minutes of walking I find myself in a much more deserted part of the alley. Out of the corner of my eye I see a sign pointing to a side street. The sign reads "Knockturn Alley."

I look down the street. It's much darker and more depressing, which is fitting considering what I've read about it.

I'm about to turn around when I see a familiar face several feet away. Silvanus Kettleburn is in Knockturn Alley. _What in the world is Kettleburn doing here?_ I know he's not a dark wizard, so I'm confused as to what business he could possibly have in this part of town.

He looks around to see if anyone is following him before he ducks around the corner quickly.

He's definitely up to something, and I have a feeling it has something to do with the fact that he found the Grimmerie in my room.

I look behind me, but I don't see anyone. This is probably a bad idea, but my instincts are telling me something is wrong.

I quickly follow Kettleburn's path. This place is even creepier the further I go in, but I force myself to ignore it. I turn the corner just in time to see Kettleburn walking down a flight of stars before turning again.

I get an uneasy feeling, but I move on, following behind him.

When I turn the next corner, he is farther away, but I can still see him and he seems to be walking with a purpose. Whatever he's looking for, he knows exactly what it is and where to find it.

Just as I move to continue down the narrow street, a hand grabs me by the arm fast, pulling me into yet another small side alley. _Shit._ I was so busy following Kettleburn I wasn't paying attention.

I nearly lose my balance, and being grabbed so roughly makes it hard for me to keep calm. My immediate reaction is to be annoyed, and I attempt to turn around to face the idiot now holding my arm, but I do not get a chance.

"Get off of me!" I yell at him. The hand around me tightens and turns me around so I cannot look at him, as another hand comes around to cover my mouth in an attempt to stop me from protesting again.

My annoyance is fading and I'm starting to panic now, so I do the only thing I can think of, and scream as loud as I can.

* * *

A/N: There you go! I'll try my best not to keep you guys hanging for long. Thanks for reading, and please review!

Love you guys!

Until next time...

~Neve


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